05 the vedanta kesari may 2013

The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

Ramakrishna Monastery, Trabuco Canyon, USA

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ay 2013

India’s Timeless Wisdom

Whether a person is unclean or clean, whatever be the state one is in, if one thinks of orW prays to the Lord Vishnu (whose eyes are beautiful like a lotus) one becomes pure externally and internally.

—Traditional saying

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The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 100, No. 5

ISSN 0042-2983

A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER

Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavâdin, it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914.

For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org

CONTENTS Vedic Prayers

MAY 2013

165

Editorial 

The World We Live In

Articles  ‘I Shall Look Upon Them As the Blissful Mother Herself’ Hironmoy Mukherjee  Sage Vasishtha’s Advice to Prince Rama Swami Sarvadevananda  Swami Vivekananda’s Raja Yoga: A Contemporary Perspective Swami Brahmeshananda  Three Touching Stories Dipankar Bhowmik  Enlightened Citizenship: A Modern Indian Understanding Ashwani Kumar Glimpses of Swamiji  Spiritual Struggles and Realisation

166 171 176 181 187 192

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New Find  Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda 185 The Order on the March 197 Book Review

201

Features  Simhâvalokanam (Notes of the Month)  Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories Cover Story: Page 4

170 191

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The Vedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h (044) 2462 1110 (4 lines) Fax : (044) 2493 4589 Email : mail@chennaimath.org Website : www.chennaimath.org TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS

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We accept online donations also.

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N Cover Story N Ramakrishna Monastery, Trabuco Canyon, USA In 1939 the English writers Gerald Heard, Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood conceived of a college that would be devoted to the study and practice of contemplative life. Aldous Huxley wrote The Perennial Philosophy in its library in 1942. In 1949 the property was given to Swami Prabhavananda, and it became the Ramakrishna Monastery, a part of the Vedanta Society of Southern California (a branch of the Ramakrishna Math).

The bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda (featured on the coverpage) was sculpted by the famed sculptor Malvina Hoffman and adorns the monastery courtyard. . 

T he V edanta K esari P atrons ’ S cheme We invite our readers to join as patrons of the magazine. They can do so by sending Rs.2000/- or more. Names of the patrons will be announced in the journal under the Patrons' Scheme and they will receive the magazine for 20 years. Please send your contribution to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai with a note that the enclosed amount is for the Patrons' Scheme. (This scheme is valid in India only).

DONORS Mr. R. Raghunathan, Chennai Mr. T.S. Parameswaran Mr. S.K. Chakrabarti, Kolkata

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The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS

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AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS

Doordarshan Kendra, Pune (Paud Rd), Maharastra - 411 038 Doordarshan Kendra, Pune (Kothrud), Maharastra - 411 029 Doordarshan Kendra, Mumbai, Maharastra - 400 018 Doordarshan Kendra (Akashvani Bhawan), Delhi - 110 001 Doordarshan Kendra (Mandi house), Delhi - 110 001 Doordarshan Kendra, Kolkata, West Bengal - 700 095 Doordarshan Kendra, Kolkata, West Bengal - 700 095 Doordarshan Kendra, Ahmedabad (Drive In Rd), Gujarat - 380 052 Doordarshan Kendra, Ahmedabad (Thaltej), Gujarat - 380 054 Doordarshan Kendra, Ernakulam, Kerala - 682 030 Doordarshan Kendra, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala - 695 043 Doordarshan Kendra, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Doordarshan Kendra, Ranchi, Jharkhand - 834 001 To be continued . . .

VOL. 100, No. 5, MAY 2013 ISSN 0042-2983

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SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE.

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GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN. 5

Vedic Prayers

Tr. by Swami Sarvananda

Man, according to the Vedanta philosophy, is the greatest being that is in the universe, and this world of work the best place in it, because only herein is the greatest and the best chance for him to become perfect. Angels or gods, whatever you may call them, have all to become men, if they want to become perfect.

This is the great centre, the wonderful poise, and the wonderful opportunity—this human life.

—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 2:21

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Editorial

The World We Live In This World The world we live in?! Everyone knows it. TV, newspapers, magazines, websites, videos, office and neighbourhood gossip—turn anywhere and you have it. You do not have to search to know the world we live in! Everyone knows so much about it! Violence, crime, politics, literature, festivals, advertisements, science, religions—we all know, in lesser or more ways, the world we live in. No one need tell us about it.

A vivid contemporary description of the world we live in says it well:

While this is how a contemporary writer has described, the question has yet more serious aspect. The world is much more than what it appears to be. Beyond social and political issues, beyond our pleasures and pains, victories and failures, beyond all dualities of life, the question that comes to us again is what is the truth about this world?

The journey to know the world, strangely enough, begins with death. Says Swami Vivekananda, The whole world may combine to prevent us from broadening out beyond the present. Yet, so long as there is death, the question must come again and again, ‘Is death the end of all these things to which we are clinging, as if they were the most real of all realities, the most substantial of all substances?’ The world vanishes in a moment and is gone. Standing on the brink of a precipice beyond which is the infinite yawning chasm, every mind, however hardened, is bound to recoil and ask, ‘Is this real?’ The hopes of a lifetime, built up little by little with all the energies of a great mind, vanish in a second.

Are they real? This question must be answered.

Time never lessens its power; on the other hand, it adds strength to it.1

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. . .

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve done larger things, but not better things. . .’

Indeed, this is the world we live!

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Thus we come back to the question— what is the world we live in? What is it made up of? What is its source/Whence it comes and goes? Let us turn to Upanishads, India’s most sacred literature, to know answer to this ageold question.

There are many ways in which the Upanishads describe the world we live in.

But the one that seems to catch attention and

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imagination of many is the following verse from Mundaka Upanishad [3.1.1], restated by Swami Vivekananda: Upon the same tree there are two birds of beautiful plumage, most friendly to each other, one eating the fruits, the other sitting there calm and silent without eating—the one on the lower branch eating sweet and bitter fruits in turn and becoming happy and unhappy, but the other one on the top, calm and majestic; he eats neither sweet nor bitter fruits, cares neither for happiness nor misery, immersed in his own glory. This is the picture of the human soul.

Man is eating the sweet and bitter fruits of this life, pursuing gold, pursuing his senses, pursuing the vanities of life—hopelessly, madly careering he goes. . . Such is the career of men pursuing the vanities of life—hopelessly, madly careering he goes. . . Such is the career of men pursuing the vanities of life, children dreaming golden dreams only to find that they are but vain, and old men chewing the cud of their past deeds, and yet not knowing how to get out of this network. This is the world.2

body its trunk, the vital forces its branches, the organs its twigs, the sense-objects its flowers, various miseries due to diverse works are its fruits, and the individual soul is the bird on it.

This bondage of the non-Self springs from ignorance, is self-caused, and is described as without beginning and end. It subjects one to the long train of miseries such as birth, death, disease, and decrepitude.

Again, in his commentary on a similar verse (2.3.1) in Kathopanishad, Adi Shankara refers it thus:

The World-tree What is this tree on which the ‘two birds’ are perched? What is that on which the eternal play of life and death goes on, day after day?

The Gita (15.1-2) describes the ‘world-tree’ (samsara vriksha) thus: They speak of an eternal Ashvattha rooted above and branching below whose leaves are the Vedas; he who knows it, is a Veda-knower.

Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the Gunas; sense-objects are its buds; and below in the world of man stretch forth the roots, originating action.

Says Adi Shankara in his celebrated book, Vivekachudamani (145-146): Of the tree Samsara ignorance is the seed, the identification with the body is its sprout, attachment its tender leaves, work its water, the T h e

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This tree of the world, comprising everything from the Un-manifested to the immovables, has its root above. It is called vriksa (tree) because (of the root-meaning) of being felled. It consists of many evils such as birth, old age, death, sorrow, etc.; it changes itself every moment, inasmuch as no sooner is it is seen than its nature is destroyed like magic, water in a mirage, a city in the sky, etc., and it ceases to exist ultimately like a tree; it is without any heart-wood like the stem of a plantain tree; it is subject to hundreds of doubts in the minds of sceptics; its reality is determined in its true colour by the seekers of truth; its essence lies in its root, the supreme Brahman, ascertained in Vedanta; it grows from out of the seed of ignorance, desire, action. . . . It has for its trunk the diverse subtle bodies of all creatures; its vigour of growth results from the sprinkling of the water of desire; it has for its tender sprouts the objects of the senses of knowledge; its leaves are the Vedas, the Smritis, logic, learning, and instruction; its lovely flowers are the many deeds such as sacrifice, charity, austerity, etc.; its various tastes are the experience of happiness and sorrow; its innumerable fruits are the means of subsistence of beings; it has its secondary roots well developed, entwined, and firmly fixed through the sprinkling of the water of desire (for those fruits); it has for its nests the seven worlds beginning from the one called Satya, built by the M AY

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birds which are the living beings from Brahma downwards.

It has its uproar, rendered tumultuous through the various sounds arising from dancing, singing, instrumental music, disport (play, jest, etc.), clapping on the arms, laughing, pulling, crying, exclaiming ‘Alas, alas!’, ‘Leave me, leave me!’, induced by mirth and grief arising from the enjoyment and pain of living beings; and it is felled by the weapon of detachment consisting of the realization of the identity of Brahman and the Self as inculcated by Vedanta. This tree of the world is an ashvathah [literally, ‘not existing tomorrow’] that which by its nature is ever unsteady, like the peepul tree, shaken as it is by the wind of desire and deeds; . . downwards are its branches, consisting of heaven, hell, and states of beasts and ghosts; (it is) existing from time immemorial, having no beginning.

That very thing—which is the root of the tree of the world—is white, pure, resplendent— being in reality the light of the Self which is Consciousness.3

Flying Away from the World-Tree The above description of the tree of world that we live in has the following implications: v The world is impermanent; it is ever changing v The world is full of dualities of life, of pain and pleasure, good and bad. v The world, though impermanent, is ever-rooted in God—in other words, it emerges from the Self or Pure Consciousness.

It does not come from nothing; it comes from God. v The way out of the world is through the practice of detachment and other spiritual disciplines.

Let us return to the verse from Mundaka Upanishad [3.1.1] that we mentioned in the beginning—again in Swamiji’s words: T h e

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Two birds sat on one tree. . . One day, when he [lower bird] had eaten a fruit more bitter than usual, he glanced up at the calm majestic upper bird and thought, ‘How I would like to be like him!’ and he hopped up a little way towards him. Soon he forgot all about his desire to be like the upper bird, and went on as before, eating sweet and bitter fruits and being happy and miserable. Again he looked up, again he went up a little nearer to the calm and majestic upper bird. Many times was this repeated until at last he drew very near the upper bird; the brilliancy of his plumage dazzled him, seemed to absorb him, and finally, to his wonder and surprise, he found there was only one bird—he was the upper bird all the time and had but just found it out. Man is like that lower bird, but if he perseveres in his efforts to rise to the highest ideal he can conceive of, he too will find that he was the Self all the time and the other was but a dream.4

This ‘persistence in efforts’ is what is needed. One has to keep making attempts to realize one’s higher nature. Eating the fruits of life refers to our various experiences in life. These experiences ultimately make us disillusioned about the world—its inability to give us infinite life and infinite joy. All that it gives is finite, small, time-bound, limited. Let us turn within, and destroy the seed of the world consisting of avidya, the ignorance of our true nature. We need nothing else but to get rid of our misconceptions about what we really are. This knowledge of our true Self is what is called jnana.

While we know the world around us, we should train ourselves to seek deeper roots of our existential problems. This world, not only modern world but also ancient and future worlds, has its origin in avidya. Though having its origin in avidya, the world is, ultimately, God himself. This illusion of avidya has to be torn apart to find the ever-present,

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smiling Lord behind it—that is the meaning of spiritual realization. As Swamiji points out: All this indeed is He: He is in the universe: He is the universe Himself. ‘Thou art the man, Thou art the woman, Thou art the young man walking in the pride of youth, Thou art the old man tottering in his step.’ He is here. Him we see and feel: in Him we live, and move, and have our being. . . You and I are little bits, little points, little channels, little expressions, all living inside of that infinite ocean of Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. The difference between man and man, between angels and man, between man and animals, between animals and plants, between plants and stones is not in kind, because everyone from the highest angel to the lowest particle of matter is but an expression of that one infinite ocean, and the difference is only in degree. I am a low manifestation, you may be a higher, but in both the materials are the same.

You and I are both outlets of the same channel, and that is God; as such, your nature is God, and so is mine. You are of the nature of God by your birthright; so am I.5

What matters is the cultivation of inner life. People speak of lack of inner peace, about strife in personal and social lives, of evils and wickedness in various shapes and names. We have referred to the ‘contradictions of our modern times’. There is no end to it.

According to all spiritual masters, the cause for this outside unrest should be searched for inside man. It is there, inside us, that the seed of samsara lies. It is in man that this seed is sown which later blossoms forth in the form of samsara-vriksha. If we have to find peace outside, we should first find it within.

To achieve this purpose, one can first take help of many things which samsara itself offers. Consisting of time, space and causation (desha-kala-nimitta), the visible samsara is to be tackled from time-space-causation continuum itself. Take for instance, time (kala). We all have same time. The difference lies in how we use it. If we use it well, in a way that is useful and effective for inner development. Or take the place (desha). Let us dwell or visit or create such places that are conducive to our spiritual aspirations. We need to work for it.

Or ‘causation’ (nimitta): create such situations, look for such circumstances or reasons that will help one grow in one’s spiritual life. This all means transforming the time available to us, the place available to us and the situations available to us—all have to be used in such a way as to make them tools for understanding our real nature which is inherently divine.

Conclusion Manifestation or recognising the divinity behind the cover of illusion of samsara is all about spiritual life. Swami Turiyananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, says, The world is neither good nor bad. What I call good, you, perhaps, call bad, and the reverse.

What is the standard? The standard is our own attitude towards life. Each one has his own standard. And with increased experience and insight the standard changes. The pity is that we still recognize evil. When we become perfectly good ourselves, the whole world will appear good. We see only the reflection of our own minds. See the Lord always in everything, and you will see no evil.6 o

References 1. CW, 2:71 2. CW, 3.235 p.213-216 4. CW, 8:4

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The Lion of Vedanta Looks Back

Simhâvalokanam From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (April, 1923-24, Pp. 477-478)

Notes of the Month Amidst the general din and strife of political activities and economic stress the nation is apt to lose sight of the higher verities for which it always stood. Since the time the revered Swami Vivekananda, the father of Indian Nationalism, preached the life-giving doctrine of renunciation through love, the spirit of self-sacrifice has steadily spread through the length and breadth of the country. Young and old are ready to give up their all for the good of the nation. No sacrifice is considered too great and no price is considered too high when the same is demanded in the service of the motherland. Whence arises this mighty feeling which sets aside the world and its trinkets to pursue a higher ideal, and what could be the nature of this ideal for the attainment of which men are willing to forsake their all? It should be higher than life itself, for men cheerfully give up their life for the attainment of this ultimate good of forsaking self-interest for the welfare of the many. He who seeks wealth seeks it for the comforts of life and consequently life is higher than wealth which supplies the amenities of life. He who seeks the good of his neighbour, often at the cost of his own life, what is he seeking for? . . . To lose oneself in the service of others, to transcend at least for a moment the limitations of the intellect and the three and a half or more cubits of clay which imprisons the all-pervading soul is a joy of a higher order before which the joys of the world become infinitely small.

Here the saint and the soldier are at one: one is conscious of the pursuit, the other is not fully aware of it; that makes the sole difference. Thus we see that disinterested service has essentially a spiritual basis. We glorify the soldier as the man who possesses nothing but his life, which he is ready to give away. This spirit of self-sacrifice is the intrinsic merit of the soldier whereas his fighting qualities and steadiness of hand are merely instrumental and external, even as his rifle and bayonet are instrumental and external. This spirit of selfsacrifice is a never failing source of energy and is the common characteristic of all heroic souls who stand prepared to lay down their all for the pursuit of a higher ideal. What may be the sources from which this blessed quality arises to manifest Itself? . . . Shares and stocks may be bought and sold at the market and clever men may add to the wealth of the country but the share-market cannot elevate the soul and bring to light the divine colour which is inherent to it. Political and economic values are thus seen to be subsidiary to spiritual values. o T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i  ~ 170 ~ M A Y 2 0 1 3

‘I Shall Look Upon Them As the Blissful Mother Herself’ A Narrative on How Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and the Direct Disciples Influenced the Contemporary Bengali Drama HIRONMOY MUKHERJEE

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

The Blessed Actresses Sri Ramakrishna said, Heinous sins—the sins of many births and accumulated ignorance—all disappear in the twinkling of an eye through the grace of God. When light enters a room that has been kept dark, does a thousand year’s darkness go little by little or instantly?

Of course, at the mere touch of light all the darkness disappears.

What a reassuring message! Binodini, Tarasundari and Tinkari, three shining stars of the Kolkata theatre, heard Sri Ramakrishna’s message. He had blessed Binodini after seeing her performance in the title role in Girish’s Chaitanya Lila at the Star theatre.

Though Tarasundari and Tinkari did not meet the Master, they had heard his reassuring words through Girish. Later the two women visited the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi at her Kolkata residence, Udbodhan, and received her blessings. Swami Brahmananda and his brother-disciples guided them in their spiritual endeaours.9

Binodini’s last meeting with Sri Ramakrishna was dramatic. He was at that time lying seriously ill at Shyampukur. The devotees had restricted visitors in view of his delicate health.

Binodini, coming to know about Master’s illness as well as the restrictions imposed by well meaning devotees, appeared before him along with Kalipada Ghosh, a devotee, in the guise of an European gentleman. After prostrating before him she revealed her real identity to the Master. He was quite amused and asked her affectionately to sit down. He was pleased to see her devotion and then gave her spiritual advice. She left after some time with moist eyes10.

Once, when all the actors and actresses had assembled at Girish’s room after the end of a play in Kohinoor theatre, as per their practice, Tarasundari remarked: ‘With the type of life we have led, there is no hope of deliverance for us.’ On hearing this, Girish had said, ‘Do not say that Tara. Don’t you remember your aunt (Binodini)? The Master was moved by her acting in the role

o The author is a retired government official and is an active volunteer of Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

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of Chaitanya and had blessed her saying, “Mother, may you attain Illumination.”’

Their Spiritual Aspirations Binodini wrote in her autobiography: I do not care if the whole world looks down upon me because I know that the pure and venerable Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa had blessed me . . . I hear his voice: Say ‘Hari Guru, Guru Hari ‘. I do not remember as to how many times he came to the theatre after Chaitanya Lila, but I saw his joyful face many times when he was seated in a box seat of the theatre.11

Sri Ramakrishna’s silent influence changed the attitudes of many people. A puritanical young Narendranath (future Swami Vivekananda) avoided walking on footpaths adjoining theatre halls. The same Narendranath once had walked into the green room of a theatre. Sitting among the ‘fallen men and women’, playing a Tanpura (a stringed musical instrument), he sang the mangalgiti (auspicious song).

Binodini wrote: On many days we listened to Narendranath singing the mangalgiti, Satyam Shivam in a melodious voice and thought ourselves blessed.12

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We were brought to revere holy men . . I was impure, a fallen woman. And so when I touched the holy feet of the Maharaj, I did it with great hesitancy, afraid to offend him. But his sweet words, his solicitude and love dispelled my fear.

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

Binodini set up a worship room on the third floor of her house which she named ‘Gopal Kutir’ (‘Baby Krishna’s Cottage’). She had installed the images of Radha and Krishna as well as Gopala and a Narayan Shila. A Brahmin priest would come and perform daily worship. Besides, Binodini had a small personal shrine, where she had installed a T h e

picture of Sri Ramakrishna. She worshipped the Master herself with flowers and sandal paste. Towards the end of her life she would go every evening to Ramakrishna Vedanta Math (which was near her house) to meet Swami Abhedananda and attend the evening arati in the shrine there. Binodini passed away on 12th February 1941 at the age of 78.13 Tarasundari (1879-1948) was groomed

by Girish Ghosh who recognized her actingpotential. Eventually she rose to become a famous stage actress. We have already referred to the conversation Girish had with Tara where he had said, ‘Sri Ramakrishna is the refuge of courtesans.’ Tara waited for several years after that conversation, and then, in 1916, finally visited Belur Math to meet Swami Brahmananda, the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna.

She had come with Binodini and was then in an unhappy state of mind.

Swami Brahmananda received them warmly and sent them to the shrine and later got them prasada. He also made arrangements for showing them around the Belur Math. Tara recalls in her memoirs:

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Swami Premananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was also present during this conversation. He also assured her saying that there was no restriction for any one for visiting the temple of Sri Ramakrishna.14 Instances of Their Devotion Tara and Tinkari would sometimes visit Holy Mother at Udbodhan but they never entered her room where the Master’s shrine was located. They would bow down to the Master and Mother from outside the door.

Holy Mother loved them and would always ask them to have lunch. After the meals, as was customary in Bengal homes, she would give each of them a betel roll. One day after they had left, Holy Mother observed: ‘These girls have genuine devotion. Ah! Whenever they call on God, they do it with one-pointed devotion.’

In 1920, during Holy Mother’s last illness, Tara would visit her quite often. During one such visit, Holy Mother requested her to recite from one of her plays. She bowed to Mother with folded-hands and then recited from a part of her heroic role of Prabir from the play Prabir-Arjun. Afterwards, Holy Mother told her, ‘My child, come on another day.’ Tara again bowed to her and left with some prasad in her hands.

One day Tara came to visit Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, with a generous quantity of sweets and fruits. Swami Saradananda was resting at that time. While she was waiting for him to come, his attendant (sevak), who had seen her performing in Girish’s play Prafulla, asked her to recite a few lines from one of her plays.

Acceding to his request, Tara recited from a portion of her title role as Jana from the play Jana. As per the role she had to cry in grief and then roar and laugh. This woke up Swami T h e

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Saradananda. After being told by his sevak of her arrival, he got up and washed his face and came ready to receive her. Tara bowed down to him and sat near the threshold of his room.

The Swami then talked to her. Earlier, Swami had asked his sevak to take Tara’s offerings to the Kali Temple.15

Tarasundari

Actress Tarasundari was initiated into mantra-diksha by Swami Brahmananda. She used to visit Swami Brahmananda when the latter was staying at the newly-built Bhuvaneshwar Centre of the Ramakrishna Math. Her daughter Pratibha Devi recalled later, At that time [my] mother had the privilege of receiving many spiritual truths sitting at the feet of Raja Maharaj [as Swami Brahmananda was known]. She had also some transcendental visions and perceptions and found the goal of her life. She decided on the path of sacrifice and lived a life of detachment.

Tarasundari felt orphaned when Raja Maharaj departed for his heavenly abode.

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She left acting and suffered from depression.

Swami Shivananda, the second President of the Ramakrishna Order, heard about her condition and sent words for her to visit Belur Math.

She cried before him and told him how she missed Raja Maharaj’s divine presence. Swami Shivananda consoled her and asked her to build a temple on her property in Bhuvaneshwar in the Tinkari name of Maharaj. Tara followed his advice and built a temple.

The temple was named as ‘Rakhal Kunja’ (Rakhal was Swami Brahmananda’s premonastic name; Kunja means garden-temple).

Swami Shivananda went to Bhuvaneshwar to consecrate Rakhal Kunja and installed the pictures of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda on the altar.

Once Swami Subodhananda (a brotherdisciple of Swami Brahmananda) was visiting Rakhal Kunja at noon. The temple as well as its doors and windows were closed. Finding a window ajar he peeped in and found Tarasundari absorbed in dancing before the picture of Sri Ramakrishna. The Swami came back without disturbing her.

Once Swami Akhandananda (another brother disciple of Swami Brahmananda) visited Rakhal Kunja and advised Tarasundari to offer cooked food and milk to Master every day. She died in Kolkata while gazing at the picture of Sri Ramakrishna. Tarasundari was a good writer and a poet like Binodini.16

Binodini

Tinkari’s (1870-1917) name has been mentioned earlier along with Tarasundari.

Her talent was also spotted by Girish Chandra and she had a successful acting career. Girish was not only Guru of Tinkari in theatre but also would give her spiritual advice. He told her about Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and direct disciples of the Master.

Once when she came to visit Holy Mother, Sister Lakshmi (niece of Sri Ramakrishna) requested her to sing a song. Tinkari asked her hesitatingly, ‘What kind of song may I sing for you?’

Recalling this incident and the conversation that took place, Asutosh Mitra, who had been serving Holy Mother, said:

A Charming Incident T h e

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Holy Mother: It will be wonderful if you sing the song of Pagalini (mad woman) from the play Bilwamangal. (Tinkari had performed in that role.)

She agreed to sing.

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We stopped our work and went upstairs to listen to her singing. Sharat Maharaj was writing something. He kept his pen aside and became absorbed in the music. Jogin Ma was cutting vegetables; [she left it and] she went upstairs.

The cook and servants also stopped at whatever they were doing and went upstairs to listen to the song.

When I went upstairs I noticed that the Holy Mother had finished her worship and was listening to the song sitting on the floor. Tinkari sat on the little verandah near to the entrance to the Master’s shrine. We all felt that Tinkari’s overflowing devotion through her singing was reverberating throughout the house.

‘He (Krishna) travels holding my hand Wherever I go, He follows me Even if don’t ask him to.’

She went on singing. The entire house was completely still, as if no one was there. Everyone present was overwhelmed and absorbed in an

exalted mood. Was it the influence of Tinkari’s singing or Holy Mother’s spiritual powers? Who could say? Finally, Tinkari finished singing the last lines of the song. The Holy Mother exclaimed in an ecstatic mood, ‘Aha! Aha!’ She remained in that state for a while and silence prevailed everywhere. Then she wiped her eyes and said to Tinkari, ‘What a beautiful song you have sang today my child.’

Tinkari continued her acting career and gave numerous excellent performances on the stage. However, as she developed diabetes, she withdrew from acting and went to Varanasi as per her physician’s advice. After recovery from her illness, she came back and joined theatre but her health did not allow her to continue.

When Girish passed away in February 1912, she was brokenhearted; she deeply felt the loss of her beloved Guru and guide. She lived for another five years. She died with Lord’s name on her lips.17 (To be continued. . .)

References 9. GC, p. 174 10.BR, p. 206 11.GC, p. 169

12.BR, p. 92 13 GC, p. 193 14.GC, p. 199-200; BR, p. 210-211

15.GC, p. 202-203 16.Ibid, p. 204-205 17.Ibid, p. 220-221

A Prayer for Purity May May May May May May May May May May May May May May

my flesh and my blood be purified; my skin and my bones be purified; the marrow of my bones be purified; all my body be purified.

I be free from attachments.

I be free from impurities! my organs of sense be purified; my organs of action be purified; all my actions be purified; I be free from attachments.

I be free from impurities! my mind be purified; my vital energy be purified; the earth and the air be purified; T h e

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May the ether and water be purified.

May I be free from all attachments, May I be free from impurities!

May I be pure! May I be pure!

I am verily the Atman!

I am pure! I am free! I am blissful!

—Swami Premananda

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Sage Vasishtha’s Advice to Prince Rama Notes on Yoga-Vasishtha-Sara Translated by Swami Dhireshananda SWAMI SARVADEVANANDA

Continued from the previous issue Samyamanmanasah shantimeti samsarasambhramah, mandare’spandatam yate yatha kshiramaharnavah. 2.1

destruction. Its nature (meaning, what it actually is) is neither observable nor understandable; because if one sees (with a discriminative eye), then it cannot be found at all. It gets destroyed.

(That is why maya is indeterminable).

As the great milk-ocean becomes calm and free from waves when the Mandara Mountain becomes still, similarly with the mastery over the mind, this world-delusion comes to an end.

‘As soon as the vibrations of the mind are stopped, the mind is dissolved, and with the dissolution of the mind the world also dissolves. This imaginative power is extremely strange: “It is expert in making the impossible possible” (aghatana-ghatana-patiyasi). It causes to appear that which is not there, and it causes forgetfulness of that which is eternally there, the real nature of all. But in this mind there is a special stream of vibration, which is called discrimination (vichara). For maya, this is the deadly weapon for her own destruction. By applying this weapon, one brings about the destruction of all visible objects (gross, subtle and causal) and gains knowledge of the Self and establishment in that true Self.’

Idrishi rama mayeyam ya svanashena harshada, na lakshyate svabhavo’syah prekshyamanaiva nashyati. 2. 6 O Rama, this maya (the cause of this creation) is such that it confers joy to itself through its own

‘The world appears because of ignorance concerning the Atman; the world is destroyed by the knowledge of the Self. Mithya means that which is not absolutely true (sat), yet it can be seen [at one moment] and then ceases to exist’. Through the right knowledge alone, the erroneous cognition of a snake, painted on the canvas is destroyed; similarly, only through the knowledge of the oneness between Brahman and Atman, the world appearance though seeming to exist, dissolves.

Parijnanena sarpatvam citrasarpasya nashyati, yatha tathaiva samsarah sthita evopashamyati.

2.4 The world does not disappear completely but manifests its Real blissful form to the knower of the Truth.

Ajnasya duhkhaughamayam jnasyanandamayam jagat, andham bhuvanamandhasya prakasham tu sucakshusham. 2.18 To the ignorant the world is full of suffering, but in the vision of a knower of Truth it is full of bliss1. To a blind person the

Swami Sarvadevananda is the Head of Vedanta Society of Southern California, USA. This article is based on excerpts from his English translation of Yoga Vasishtha (translated into Bengali by Swami Dhireshananda, Udbodhan Office, Kolkata). The translation is likely to be published in a couple of months. o T h e

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world is dark, but to a man with sight the entire world is full of effulgence.

A calm, resolution-free mind of the aspirant is capable of reflecting on the ‘SelfKnowledge’ (tattva-jnana). This is the content of the third chapter. “The knowledge of the Self should have been elaborated in this chapter, but instead the compiler has described the signs of a jivan-mukta, one who is liberated while living. The objective is to bestow the knowledge of the Self first by showing the ideal and then by making clear the goal.

‘There are two types of jivanmukta— Ishvara-koti and Brahma-koti. The diversities of prarabdha alone are the cause of this division.

Brahma-koti-jivanmuktas remain speechless and absorbed in their Self being free from all relationship with the world.

Unending welfare of the world is caused by them indirectly, if not directly. Their very presence in the world generates tremendous auspiciousness. (Vide Sannyasa Gita, 11.32, 33) Ishvara-koti-jivanmuktas remain engaged in bringing good to the world as a representative of Ishvara. The world becomes blessed with the benefits rendared by these types of great souls. (Shambhu Gita, 6.80-84)” ‘The actions of the Ishvara-koti-jivanmukta are effective in two ways. Firstly, the actions destroy his own prarabdha by taking him through his own experiences; secondly, due to the destruction of his self-centeredness, he is guided by the will of God, being centered in the collective existence or the cosmic consciousness. From the very beginning, the Ishvara-koti receives authority to bestow welfare upon others. As world teachers, they do immense welfare to the world by preaching the spiritual knowledge.

Guided by the will of God, these great souls receive direction from God and become successful very easily in T h e

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performing the divine mission (Sannyasa Gita, 11th chapter).’

‘This is natural to have this question: who is the best between the Brahma-koti and the Ishvara- koti jivan-mukta. This question arose in the mind of Ramachandra also: Who is the best between the knower of the Truth—those who engage in action or those who remain absorbed in samadhi? In response, Vasishtha said, the inner tranquility due to the conviction of the unreality of the world made of three qualities (gunas) is verily called samadhi. That is the result of endless asceticism. Therefore, the person of wisdom engaged in many practical activities and the one absorbed samadhi are both verily the same.

For none does the dissolution of the mind happen at once. As: Jnatvapyasarpam sarpoththam yatha kampam na muncati, vidhdvasta’khilamoho’pi mohakaryam tathatmani. 3.7 After mistaking the rope for snake, even when the knowledge that the snake is a delusion and not real dawns, the fear, the trembling and so forth caused by the [delusional] vision of the snake does not go away instantly (but gradually); in the same manner, though ignorance is totally destroyed by the knowledge of Truth, the delusional activities like lust and so forth of that (obscured) ignorance do not suddenly cease to exist.

‘Three words pratitika, pratibhasika and pratibhasa are often used to describe the relative existence of the universe. Though these words are generally used to mean the same thing, yet there are some subtle differences among them.

For example: According to trisattvavada theory— that which is experienced at the very time of perception during the awakened state and also has its empirical existence such as happiness, suffering and the like is called

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pratitika. Again, the rope-snake and the like which are visible during the awakened state are called pratibhasika. They are also visible at the time of perception, pratiti; but that snake is a mere appearance only (pratibhasika); it has no empirical existence.

According to the doctrine of dvisattvavada, perception and creation theory is of two types: one is ‘the perception itself is the creation’ (drishti srishti) and the other one is, ‘creation at the time of perception’ (srishti drishti). In the first case, perception drishti means the knowledge of the Self. In the second case, drishti means the mental modification of ignorance. In the first case, visible objects are pratibhasa only. The consciousness of the Self verily appears as the visible objects. There is no object, which merely appears here, in other words, there is no object that is superimposed upon the substratum, Brahman. Only the superimposition of Knowledge upon the worldly objects (jnanadhyasa) is accepted. In the second place, drishti, the objects of mere

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appearance, which arise at the same time along with the mental modification of ignorance, is accepted.”

After the attainment of knowledge, ‘Wherever the wise one gives up his body— be it the holy land of Varanasi or the home of an outcaste, he becomes free of his subtle body at the very moment of his attainment of Knowledge’.

Tanum tyajatu va kashyam shvapacasya grihe’thava, jnanasampraptisamaye mukto’sau vigatashayah. 3.12 The realization of the man of wisdom is described in a very poetic way here: Antahshunyo bahihshunyah Shunyakumbha ivamvare, antah purno bahihpurnah purnakumbha ivarnave. 3.14 The man of wisdom (due to lack of desires for sense objects) is internally and externally empty, like an empty pitcher placed in the space; again, he is always totally full within and without like a pitcher immersed in the ocean.

(To be continued. . .)

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The Ideal of Tapas There is, to be sure, increasing enrolment in our schools; but the spirit of tapas is getting less and less, both among the teachers and the students. Everything in education is becoming cheap, including examination. Similarly, money-making is becoming cheap, away from the tapas of honest, hard, productive work. Every great achievement is based on tapas, which means the austerity of hard concentrated work.

If you seek what is the strength behind Indian culture, you will find it to be this value called tapas. It is well known in the world that, among all the means employed to achieve objectives by disciplined means, tapas alone is the most efficient of the means …. And that tapas referred to here means the stilling of the external instruments (of knowledge, namely, the sense organs) and the internal instrument (of knowledge, namely, the mind)—says the Smriti.

When we concentrate the tremendous psycho-physical energies that are in us and make their impact felt on any problem, and the problem gets clarified and solved. Through tapas comes every type of greatness and excellence. Laziness and wantonness of mind, and frenzied frittering of emotional energies, cannot make one great in any field of life.

—Swami Ranganathananda T h e

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Glimpses of Swamiji

Spiritual Struggles and Realisation The first seed of spiritual life was sown during this period of Naren’s early education [as a child]. Again and again he had heard of Rama and Sita. He had listened enrapt to readings from the Ramayana, and had followed the long story of Rama’s struggle and conquest with all the thrill of personal romantic adventure. He had, as well, observed the elder members of the family sitting in worship and meditation, and it occurred to him that he, too, should worship Rama.

One day, he and a little Brahmin boy named Hari purchased a clay image of SitaRama, and when no one was about, they climbed the stairs that led to a room on the roof above the women’s quarters. After securely closing the door, they installed the image, and sat down to meditate. Meanwhile parents of both the boys noticed their prolonged absence, and an anxious search for them was begun. The hunt led at last to the little locked room on the roof. The searchers knocked and shouted, but there was no response. At last their strong blows smashed the latch, and the door flew open. Hari, his meditation disturbed at the first ominous signal, fled down the stairs.

But Naren had not heard anything. He was seated before the flower-decked image, motionless in deep meditation. When he did not respond on being called by name, he was shaken out of his meditation; but he insisted on being left alone. So they let him remain, knowing not what to make of it all; for it seemed strange at his age.1 T h e

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[Years later, at Cossipore Garden House in North Kolkata, Naren’s spiritual training continued.]

One day Sri Ramakrishna initiated Naren with the name of Rama, telling him that it was the Mantra which he had received from his own Guru. In consequence of this, Naren’s emotions were tremendously stirred. Towards evening he began to circle the house, repeating the name of the Lord, ‘Rama! Rama!’ in a loud and animated voice. Outward consciousness had apparently left him, and he was full of ecstatic fire. When the Master was informed of this, he simply said, ‘Let him be; he will come round in due course.’ The emotional storm subsided in a few hours, and Naren became his old self again.

According to another version, when Sri Ramakrishna came to know of Naren’s ecstatic state, he said to someone: ‘Go and ask Naren to come here.’ But the messenger could not manage Naren alone, and sought help from others. When they brought Naren, the Master said, ‘Oh, why are you going on like this?

What good will it do?’ After a pause he said, ‘See, I passed twelve long years in the state you are experiencing now. What are you going to attain in a single night?’2 Now we come to the greatest moment of Naren’s spiritual disciplines and the crest of his spiritual realizations. Ever since the Master had opened the door of the Advaita Vedanta to him, he had been pining for experience of the Absolute. He prayed to feel Divinity; to have

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the whole of Nature erased from the tablets of perception. To lose the ‘I’ in True Being, beyond thought—such was Naren’s prayer to Sri Ramakrishna. Naren wanted to realize the central truth of the Upanishads and to be able to say from his own experience, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, ‘I am Brahman’.

Naren had pestered the Master for this realization. One evening it came unexpectedly.

He was meditating, when suddenly he felt a light at the back of his head, as though a torchlight were playing there. It became more and more brilliant, and, larger and larger.

Finally it seemed to burst. His mind became merged in it. What transpired then in his consciousness was beyond words, for that Absolute State is beyond description. Some time after this realization he wrote some verses, ‘The Hymn of Samadhi’, which hint at the nature of that exalted state.

All was still and quiet in the room where Naren and Gopal Senior were meditating.

Suddenly Gopal heard Naren cry out, ‘Gopalda, Gopal-da, where is my body?’ In coming down from that state Naren was at first conscious only of his head; his body seemed lost. ‘Why, Naren, there it is. It is there’, answered the startled Gopal as he looked at Naren’s rigid body, lying prostrate. He then hastened for help to Sri Ramakrishna, whom he found in a state of intense calm, his countenance deeply serious as though he knew what was happening in the next room. In reply to Gopal’s entreaty he said, ‘Let him stay in that state for a while. He has teased me long enough for it.’

According to another version, it was Niranjan, one of the monastic disciples, who went to the Master on seeing Naren in

Samadhi, and said, ‘Naren is dead. His body is ice-cold.’ At these words Sri Ramakrishna laughed.

About nine o’clock at night Naren began to show faint signs of returning consciousness.

When he regained full consciousness of the physical world he found himself surrounded by his anxious brother-disciples. Memory came back. He felt as though he were bathed in ineffable peace. His heart was full to overflowing with ecstasy. He realized that the Absolute of Vedanta alone could reconcile all philosophies.

When he presented himself before the Master, the latter said, looking deep into his eyes, ‘Now then, the Mother has shown you everything. Just as a treasure is locked up in a box, so will this realization you have just had be locked up and the key shall remain with me. You have work to do. When you have finished my work, the treasure box will be unlocked again; and you will know everything then, as you did just now.’ He warned him to be careful about his body for some time, and to exercise the utmost discretion in his choice of food and companions, accepting only the purest.

Afterwards Sri Ramakrishna said to the other disciples, ‘Naren will pass away only of his own will. The moment he realizes who he is, he will refuse to stay a moment longer in the body. The time will come when he will shake the world to its foundations through the strength of his intellectual and spiritual powers. I have prayed that the Divine Mother may keep this realization of the Absolute veiled from Naren. There is much work to be done by him. But this veil is so thin, so very thin that it may give way at any time.’3 o

References 1. Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Disciples, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, 1.15 2. Ibid, 1.160 3. Ibid, 177-79 T h e

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Swami Vivekananda’s Raja Yoga A Contemporary Perspective SWAMI BRAHMESHANANDA

Swamiji’s Yoga Teaching One of the greatest contributions of Swami Vivekananda to world-thought and culture is his reaffirming, reinterpreting and popularizing Raja Yoga or the seeking God through ethical disciplines and meditation. Swamiji’s Raja Yoga has become one of the most popular of his nine-volume Complete Works. It instantly appeals to modern readers for its rational and clear presentation.

In-numerable readers have been inspired by it.

It was in his Raja Yoga that Swami Vivekananda gave his now famous modern definition of religion, freeing it from all misconceptions, superstitions and mystery mongering in the name of religion. Swamiji said,1 Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship or psychic control or philosophy—by one, or more or all of these— and be free. This is the whole of religion.

Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms are but secondary details.

Apart from his two major texts, Raja Yoga and Six Lessons on Raja Yoga, there are numerous references to the subject in his ninevolume Complete Works. Not only did Swamiji write the book, Raja Yoga but also taught yoga and meditation to his students, especially is New York. Besides, his students actually saw in him an adept Raja Yogi—an experience which was enough to convince them of the validity of what was being taught.

Swami Vivekananda wrote this text at a time when there was little awareness in the West about the spiritual treasures of India. Although there were Indologists like Professor Max Muller, and earlier leaders of American Transcendentalism such as Thoreau and Emerson, it was Swamiji who interpreted this text, for the first time, systematically and rationally. He thus opened the gates of Hindu spirituality to the West. Today Yoga is being taught and practiced all over the world by

o The author is a former editor of the Vedanta Kesari, now living in Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Varanasi.

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countless people who do not even know its Indian origin!

Swamiji’s Masterly Introduction Apart from explaining the rationale behind every one of the eight steps of Ashtangayoga [eight-fold path to Yoga], Swamiji has, in his masterly introduction, proved that religion, especially Raja Yoga, is as scientific as any other exact science and is based upon universal experience. He says,

Theory of Akasha and Prana One of the important contributions made by Swami Vivekananda to the modern thought was summarizing the creation into two entities—Akasha and Prana. Swamiji said, According to the philosophers of India, the whole universe is composed of two materials, one of which they call Akasha. It is the omnipresent, all-penetrating existence.

Everything that has form, everything that is the result of combination, is evolved out of this Akasha. It is the Akasha that becomes the air, that becomes the liquids, that becomes the solids; . . . it is the Akasha that becomes the human body, the animal body, the plants, every form that we see, everything that can be sensed, everything that exists. . . By what power is this Akasha manufactured into this universe? By the power of Prana. Just as Akasha is the infinite, omnipresent material of this universe, so is this Prana the infinite, omnipresent manifesting power of this universe. At the beginning and at the end of a cycle everything becomes Akasha, and all the forces that are in the universe resolve back into the Prana; in the next cycle, out of this Prana is evolved everything that we call energy, everything that we call force.5

The teachers of the science of Yoga, therefore, declare that religion is not only based upon the experience of ancient times, but that no man can be religious until he has the same perceptions himself. Yoga is the science which teaches us how to get these perceptions. It is not much use to talk about religion until one has felt it . . . If there is a God we must see Him, if there is a soul we must perceive it; otherwise it is better not to believe. It is better to be an outspoken atheist than a hypocrite.2 Man wants truth, wants to experience truth for himself…The science of Raja-Yoga proposes to put before humanity a practical and scientifically worked out method of reaching this truth.3

Every science must have its own method of investigation by which truth can be found.

One has to follow a method, observe the facts, then generalize and draw conclusions or principles. Says Swamiji, The knowledge of the mind, of the internal nature of man, of thought, can never be had until we have first the power of observing the facts that are going on within. . . The science of Raja-Yoga, in the first place, proposes to give us such a means of observing the internal states.

The instrument is the mind itself. The power of attention, when properly guided, and directed towards the internal world, will analyze the mind, and illumine facts for us. The powers of the mind are like rays of light dissipated; when they are concentrated, they illumine.4 T h e

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Nicola Tesla, the great electrical scientist, met Swamiji in Paris and was much impressed

by Swamiji’s ideas. He was fascinated by Swamiji’s idea about cosmogony and his rationale behind Kalpas (cycles), Prana and Akasha. Tesla is believed to have said that modern science might well look for the solution of cosmological problems to these ideas. He even thought he could prove them mathematically.6 The Real Meaning of Pranayama Another important contribution of Swami Vivekananda is his detailed explanation of pranayama which even after a century has not been fully understood by its

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practitioners. Most of the yogis, who practice pranayama, think that pranayama is only a breathing exercise and is meant for physical benefit.

Swamiji clearly explained that Prana does not mean breath. Prana has an individual aspect as well a cosmic aspect. He says,

following night and bring with her a long rope, some stout twine, pack thread, silken thread, a beetle, and a little honey.

Wondering much, the good wife obeyed her husband, and brought him the desired articles.

The husband directed her to attach the silken thread firmly to the beetle, then to smear its horns with a drop of honey, and to set it free on the wall of the tower, with its head pointing upwards. She obeyed all these instructions, and the beetle started on its long journey. Smelling the honey ahead it slowly crept onwards, in the hope of reaching the honey, until at last it reached to top of the tower, when the minister grasped the beetle, and got possession of the silken thread. He told his wife to tie the other end to the pack thread, and after he had drawn up the pack thread, he repeated the process with the stout twine, and lastly with the rope.

Pranayama is not, as many think, something about breath; breath indeed has very little to do with it, if anything. Breathing is only one of the many exercises through which we get to the real Pranayama. Pranayama means the control of Prana. . . Just as Akasha is the infinite, omnipresent material of this universe, so is this Prana the infinite, omnipresent manifesting power of this universe. . . The knowledge and control of this Prana is really what is meant by Pranayama.7. . . This opens to us the door to almost unlimited power. Suppose, for instance, a man understood the Prana perfectly, and could control it, what power on earth would not be his? He would be able to move the sun and stars out of their places, to control everything in the universe, from the atoms to the biggest suns, because he would control the Prana. This is the end and aim of Pranayama.8

After explaining the cosmic as well as the psychic aspects of prana, including the three nadis—ida, pingala and sushumana—Swamiji, with the help of the story of a minister who was encaged on the top of a tower and escaped with the help of threads of increasing strength and width, explained that the control of the muscles of breathing is the first step in the control of cosmic prana. He says, There was once a minister to a great king. He fell into disgrace. The king, as a punishment, ordered him to be shut up in the top of a very high tower.

This was done, and the minister was left there to perish. He had a faithful wife, however, who came to the tower at night and called to her husband at the top to know what she could do to help him. He told her to return to the tower the T h e

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Then the rest was easy. The minister descended from the tower by means of the rope, and made his escape. In this body of ours the breath motion is the ‘silken thread’; by laying hold of and learning to control it we grasp the pack thread of the nerve currents, and from these the stout twine of our thoughts, and lastly the rope of Prana, controlling which we reach freedom.9

Three Levels of Continuum When modern physics states that the universe is something like a network of interconnected forces and a continuum, it is only talking about the material universe, and not about life, mind, etc. Swamiji showed that according to Yoga philosophy there is not only a continuity or wholeness at the physical level, which is called Mahakasha, but this is interpenetrated successively by a life force continuum and consciousness. Says Swami Vivekananda,

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Everything that we see, or imagine, or dream, we have to perceive in space. This is ordinary space called Mahakasha, or elemental space.

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When the yogi reads the thoughts of other men, or perceives super conscious objects, he sees them in another sort of space called the Chittakasha, the mental space. When perception has become objectless, and the soul shines in its own nature, it is called the Chidakasha or the knowledge space. . . In all the three levels of existence—physical, mental and spiritual– there is no individuality. In this universe there is one continuous substance on every plane of existence. Physically this universe is one: there is no difference between the sun and you. . . So

it is with the mind. Matter is represented by the ether; when the action of Prana is most subtle, this very ether, in the finer state of vibration, will represent the mind, and there it will be still one unbroken mass. . . Thus, even in the universe of thought we find unity, and at last, when we get to the Self, we know that that Self can only be One.10 ‘It is a circle within a circle, universe within universe’11

Swamiji’s concept can be compared with the modern concept of ‘multiverse.’12 (To be continued. . .)

References 1. CW, 1:124

2. ibid, 1: 127 3. ibid, p.128 4. ibid, p.129 5. ibid, p.147 6. Life of Swami Vivekananda, by His eastern and Western Disciples. Vol. II. p. 68 7. CW, p.147-148 8. ibid, p.148 9. ibid, 1:143-144 10. ibid. I, 151-52 11. ibid. I, 157-58 12. cf. Stephen Hawkin, The Grand Design, Bantum Press, London, 2010, Page, 9; Also see www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse

The Ultimate Reality is Same Different races take to different processes of controlling nature. Just as in the same society some individuals want to control the external nature, and others the internal, so, among races, some want to control the external nature, and others the internal.

Some say that by controlling internal nature we control everything. Others that by controlling external nature we control everything. Carried to the extreme both are right, because in nature there is no such division as internal or external. These are fictitious limitations that never existed. The externalists and the internalists are destined to meet at the same point, when both reach the extreme of their knowledge. Just as a physicist, when he pushes his knowledge to its limits, finds it melting away into metaphysics, so a metaphysician will find that what he calls mind and matter are but apparent distinctions, the reality being One. —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1:133

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New Find

Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1 April 11th 1901.

Math. Belur. Howrah.

India.

My dearest Granny 2 Your two kind letters are waiting answer. I need not say how welcome they are for your lines are always welcome & more.

I could not write last week for I was going over the accounts & I wanted to finish them before starting for Darjeeling for a few months on the 15th inst.

It is so bad to tell you that the expenses here too have been heavy last year & the beginning of this, just when your expenses are getting to be more than usual. But I am glad to let you know that you need not send anything more to me this year (1901) for meeting the various obligations you have so kindly taken upon yourself. $ 50/- (Rs.747/-) which you sent with what we had in our joint acct. will be sufficient to meet them all, leaving Rs.200/- or Rs.150/- more as reserve. I did not think I will be able to tell you this even before going through the accounts. As for the accounts if you want to have a copy of them, I will send you one on my return from Darjeeling on hearing from you.

The Swami is still on pilgrimage & will not return till a fortnight later. I will show him your last & ask his advice about going to the West. I will let you know as soon as I hear from him. It is so kind of you to invite me to come over & you know I am sure that above all things I like to be with you & see you once more. Well we will come together if it be the will of Sri R.K. My father is the same & joins my mother in sending cordial regards to you.

Sarada Devi sends her blessings & love to you & Margot. I believe you have got her decision about Margot’s coming by now—that she need not come before finishing her work there.

With love to Margot & the same to you, dear one I am yours affecly Saradananda.

May 1st 1901.

Darjeeling. Himalayas.

India.

My dear Mrs.Brown It has been long since I received your most kind letter. Indeed I feel such an interest in watching over your growth. I have to thank my dear friend Mrs.Wheeler for it. It was she who T h e T h e

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first talked about you to me, when I was there and aroused my interest, even before I saw you for the first time, in that afternoon, which I so well remember.

The ebb & flow of the consciousness of the Divine Love has been & will be experienced by all, who has been & will be travelling in this path. It is the selfishness within that makes us afraid of loosing ourselves entirely in It, thus raising a barrier, which we feel. It is the same which shuts our eyes towards It when through some past works of our own the prospect of life assumes a dark & dismal aspect. It is easier to love God & feel His nearness when everything is sun shine in life, but it is so difficult to do the same when He comes before us as persistent disease or death or the loss of all, which we hold dear. But believe me, our love is not complete unless we can see His hands in both the greeny & the dark & gloomy sides of life & accept them both with equal thankfulness & few are those who attain to it. The Indian conception of Kali, The Mother embraces both these sides & again hints at the All-love underlying both by designating with the name of Mother.

I am glad to know all your children are growing. My love & blessings on them.

I have not heard from my friends Miss Schroeder & Mrs.Wheeler for a long time. I hope everything is going on well with them. My kind regards to them both, when you meet them & remember me kindly to all friends.

I have not been keeping very good health since the last six months, so have come up to the hills for a change of few weeks. But address me please to the Math as before. With kind regards & prayers, Sincerely yours Saradananda.

[On the envelope:] Mrs.B.Brown.

109 Mountain Ave. North.

Montclair. N.J. U.S.America.

References 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

2. Mrs. Sara Bull

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math To get rid of evil thoughts one should be occupied either in good works or in good thoughts. Do meditation and japam as long as you can, sincerely and earnestly, and the rest of the time should be devoted to selfless service. The more you think pure thoughts, the more you are away from impure ones. —Swami Saradananda

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Three Touching Stories Hindu Ideas in Western Literature DIPANKAR BHOWMIK

Yoga means reaching or experiencing God. Three important pathways described for God realization in Hinduism are Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga. It is interesting to find similar ideas evinced in works produced by independent eminent Western writers. The following two stories

by Leo Tolstoy and one by William Somerset Maugham palpably echo the ideas widely prevalent in Hindu tradition.

island, it was anchored some distance away, and the bishop went to the island in a small boat.

On meeting the three hermits, who were quite old, he asked them how they served God. They replied in all simplicity that they had no means to serve God, but only prayed: ‘We are three, Thou art three, Have mercy on us.’ The bishop smiled at their naivety. He said that such a prayer was incorrect and was unlikely to accrue any benefit to them. He Echoes of Bhakti Yoga went on to teach them the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Our Bhakti or devotion to God is intense love.

Father, which art in Heaven hallowed be Thy In its highest form, Bhakti needs no external name . . .’ (The Vedantic interpretation of this rituals or formal prayers; it is burning love for prayer may be found in the book ‘The Sermon the Divine Beloved. The following story by on the Mount According to Vedanta by Swami the renowned Russian writer and philosopher Prabhavananda, published by Chennai Math).

Leo Tolstoy, illustrates this. Titled ‘Three The hermits gladly agreed to learn Hermits’, it is a part of folklore in the correct prayer, but their memory the Volga region of Russia. The repeatedly failed them. It took them following is the sum of the story: the whole day to memorize it, and A bishop was sailing in a the bishop finally left at dusk. As ship. Some fellow-passenger told he was rowed away he could see him that on a deserted island them standing hand-in-hand on nearby lived three old hermits the shore of the island, loudly known for their holiness and repeating the Lord’s Prayer. He piety. The bishop expressed to the returned to the ship and sat in captain of the ship his desire to see the board, watching the island them. The captain tried to dissuade rapidly receding from his view. him, but the bishop was insistent and He was pleased that he had taught the captain had to yield. Since the the good old men the correct way Leo Tolstoy ship was too large to dock near the to the Kingdom of Heaven. It was o The author is from the Department of Nephrology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

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soon night, the moon was up and the sea was moonlit.

Suddenly the bishop noticed a curious ‘object’ fast approaching the ship. He peered intently and soon the ‘object’ became clear. He shouted at the helmsman, who let go the helm in terror. There before their eyes were the three hermits running on the sea surface, hand-inhand, towards the ship. They were waving their hands and shouting at the ship to stop.

The ship was stopped, and the three old men came abreast the ship.

‘Father’, they entreated the bishop, ‘forgive us, but we have forgotten the correct prayer you taught us this morning. Please teach it to us again.’ The good bishop crossed himself, bowed before the three men and said, ‘It is not for me to teach you. Continue reciting your old prayer. That’s enough.’

The three hermits were relieved. They happily went back hand-in-hand just as they had come, and disappeared into the night. A halo followed their track on the sea.

The story illustrates beautifully how pure single-minded devotion can work wonders. What one needs is simplicity and pure devotion.

Echoes of Karma Yoga Karma Yoga is the way of attaining the highest state of Yoga through non-attachment and unselfish action. Attachment brings bondage and misery and non-attachment makes one free and peaceful. The following story from Leo Tolstoy illustrates the spirit of Karma Yoga. The story is about two old men from Central Russia.

Efim was a prosperous farmer, while his friend Elisha just about made his two ends meet by bee-keeping. At the repeated insistence of Elisha, Efim decided to accompany him on a pilgrimage to the far T h e

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away holy city of Jerusalem in Israel. In order to get money for his pilgrimage Elisha used up all his savings, sold half of his bee swarms (his only source of income) and also borrowed money from his relations. Efim, on the other hand, was anyway well-off. He was actually building another larger house for himself.

They together started off on the long journey on foot. Several weeks later in Ukraine, Elisha decided to take a break in a village for rest. He promised to re-join Efim subsequently.

The region was in the middle of a famine. He entered a small hut for a drink, and found the family members deeply impoverished. They had not eaten for several days. He was deeply moved and could not come away. He bought them food, clothes and even horses for their field. Couple of weeks passed by, and the family members gradually recuperated.

One day in the village market he overheard some people discussing him; singing his praises and calling him an angel, who had suddenly appeared and had saved a family in need. He then decided to leave the place immediately. However on counting his money he realized that most of it was now spent, and he would not be able to complete the trip. So he returned home. His dream of making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem could not materialize.

On return he only told his family members that he had lost his money. While his family was happy to have him back safely, his neighbours discussed how a callous old man had lost significant amount of hard earned money.

Meanwhile Efim continued alone on his journey. Months later he reached Jerusalem.

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He entered the holy shrine. There was a huge crowd and he was perplexed to see his friend Elisha at the front row. Both his arms were raised and he was singing the praises of the Lord in ecstasy. Efim was bewildered as to how Elisha managed to overtake him. He rushed forward to meet him, but his efforts to reach him failed. The next day too the same thing happened. Efim spent about six weeks in Jerusalem.

During his return journey he stopped at the village where Elisha had stayed back.

Coincidentally he entered the same hut, where Elisha had stayed back. Conditions in the area had improved; the famine was over. From the description given by the grateful family members, Efim realized that Elisha had been their saviour. They rued the fact that in their prayers they were unable to thank the stranger who had saved them since he had not even revealed his identity to them.

Subsequently Efim reached his village almost a year after he had left. He found to his dismay that his family was in disarray. His son had taken to heavy drinking, construction of the house had not progressed and there was bitterness in the family. Later Efim went to visit Elisha and found him to be as jovial as ever. He was happily tending to his bees surrounded by his grandchildren. When Efim spoke about the village in Ukraine, Elisha was alarmed and quickly changed the topic. Efim was left puzzled.

In Elisha we find a perfect example of a Karma Yogi. He had started on a pilgrimage with high hopes using his life’s savings and even borrowing money. However he spent it on a dying and needy family, because he felt that was his duty at that point of time. He had no regrets for his inability to complete his pilgrimage, nor did he take any credit for helping the family in dire need. His mission T h e

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his passion had remained unfulfilled or had it?

Echoes of Jnana Yoga Man is not matter but spirit, the eternal being which is the very basis of whole existence. Jnana Yoga is the way to know this truth by analyses of reality to reach the highest Reality.

In his novel The Razor’s Edge the popular English playwright, novelist and short-story writer William Somerset Maugham introduces the reader to this grand philosophy. The title of the novel is taken directly from a verse in Katha Upanishad (I.iii.14): ‘The path to liberation is as difficult as treading the razor’s edge.’ At the outset Maugham warns but at the end he leaves the reader in the air.

The novel is a true account in which Maugham himself is a minor character, and interacts with the protagonist over a period of more than a decade. Maugham narrates the life of a young American of 20 years, hailing from Chicago. The young man, Larry Darrell, gets disenchanted with life after serving in the Air Force as a fighter pilot during the First World War; and witnessing the death of his best friend in action while saving his life. He realizes that the world is ephemeral. Although he has a good job offer and engagement to a pretty girl, he renounces the conventional American way of life. He wishes to emulate John of Ruysbroeck, the 14th century Belgian mystic, and realise the Ultimate Truth. He resists all pressures from his family and friends who call him a fool. His explanation is simple: If he failed in his endeavour, he would be no worse than any other failed businessman, but if he succeeded his joy would be inexplicable.

He first goes to Paris to learn psychology, Greek and Latin directly from the Masters.

After two years of study, he does stints of

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manual labour, first in a French coal mine and then in a German farm. There, from his Polish

Somerset Maugham

colleague, he learns two important truths: first, since only nothing can come out of nothing, the world cannot be a creation, but is actually only a manifestation of the eternal nature.

Second, both good and bad are works of the same Divine (vidya maya and avidya maya, as Sri Ramakrishna refers it).

He then spends some time in a Benedictine monastery but cannot find the answers to life that he has been searching for. He also finds the concept of eternal hell unacceptable.

Larry joins a ship as a deck hand and lands in Bombay. He visits the Elephanta [an island near Mumbai] caves. A monk from the Ramakrishna Order explains to him the significance of the colossal bust: The Trinity of Brahma—the Creator, Vishnu—the Preserver and Maheswara—the Destroyer. They are the three manifestations of the Ultimate Reality.

From Bombay he goes to Benares, and then lives for several years in Travancore with a Yogi. He meditates on the Formless One. From his teacher he understands the concept of re-birth, a fact accepted in early Christianity but subsequently declared heretical. He finds T h e

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re-birth at once both an explanation and justification of the evil of the world. Every object is subject to change (anityam asukham, Gita,); a concept exemplified by the river: ‘No one can enter the same river twice.’ Until the soul has shed the last trace of egoism, it cannot become one with the Absolute. The Absolute Brahman is Nirguna (beyond the three gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas) and cannot be described, yet He has been described with qualities such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and hundred other names. These divine forms and names but ways to realization. As one progresses in one’s spiritual journey, one may get supernatural powers and it is easy to perform miracles, but they should be shunned since they are an impediment to the highest experience.

Throughout the novel Maugham contrasts Larry’s life with his materialistic uncle and friends. His rich and well-settled friend gets ruined as a result of the New York stockmarket crash in 1929. Larry has some spiritual experiences in India, but subsequently returns to America to continue to earn his living doing petty jobs. The novel has been adapted into a movie twice.

There is no doubt that of all the paths, Jnana Yoga is the most difficult. Sages have compared it to trying to climb a vertical wall without any help from the top. It is hard but one of the authentic paths spoken in Hindu scriptures.

Conclusion Thus one finds how, through the three stories by master-story-tellers, the subtle truths about life, God and spiritual life have been illustrated in Western literature. These prime concepts of Sanatana Dharma, this ancient Path, continue to inspire many more writers, thinkers and scholars everywhere. o

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Sri Ramakrishna was a master story-teller. While he spoke of profound spiritual truths and mystery of human life, he amply used stories, anecdotes, examples and analogies to drive home his point. At times, while narrating a story, he would even make gestures and change the tone of his voice to bring in a lively element in his narrative. The following stories, mainly culled from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai) are an attempt to present before the readers Sri Ramakrishna’s rich store-house of stories which are both illuminating and simple.

29 ‘Wicked Ego’ It is on account of the ego that one is not able to see God. In front of the door of God's mansion lies the stump of ego. One cannot enter the mansion without jumping over the stump.

There was once a man who had acquired the power to tame ghosts. One day, at his summons, a ghost appeared. The ghost said: ‘Now tell me what you want me to do. The moment you cannot give me any work I shall break your neck.’ The man had many things to accomplish, and he had the ghost do them all, one by one. At last he could find nothing more for the ghost to do. ‘Now’, said the ghost, ‘I am going to break your neck.’ ‘Wait a minute’, said the man. ‘I shall return presently.’ He ran to his teacher and said: ‘Revered sir, I am in great danger. This is my trouble.’ And he told his teacher his trouble and asked, ‘What shall I do now?’ The teacher said: ‘Do this. Tell the ghost to straighten this kinky hair.’ The ghost devoted itself day and night to straightening the hair. But how could it make a kinky hair straight? The hair remained kinky.

Likewise, the ego seems to vanish this moment, but it reappears the next. Unless one renounces the ego, one does not receive the grace of God. (p. 790)

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Man with Sixteen Wives One must not be slow and lazy. A man was going to bathe; he had his towel on his shoulder.

His wife said to him: ‘You are worthless.

You are getting old and still you cannot give up some of your habits. You cannot live a single day without me. But look at that man!

What a renouncer he is!’

Husband: ‘Why? What has he done?’

Wife: ‘He has sixteen wives and he is renouncing them one by one. You will never be able to renounce.’

Husband: ‘Renouncing his wives one by one! You are crazy. He won’t be able to renounce. If a man wants to renounce, does he do it little by little?’

Wife (smiling): ‘Still he is better than you.’

Husband: ‘You are silly; you don't understand. He cannot renounce. But I can.

See! Here I go!’

The Master continued: ‘That is called intense renunciation.

No sooner did the man discriminate than he renounced. He went away with the towel on his shoulder. He didn't turn back to settle his worldly affairs. He didn't even look back at his home.’ (p.750)

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Enlightened Citizenship A Modern Indian Understanding ASHWANI KUMAR

The India That Was Swami Vivekananda was born in 1893.

About 100 years before Swamiji’s birth, in 1757, East India Company began establishing its hold on India. Six years before Swamiji’s birth, after the first war of independence in 1857, East India Company was taken over by the British Empire. In its 100 years of occupation, the British reduced a prosperous and culturally rich India to abject poverty, with the largest unemployed, under-employed and illiterates in the world. Will Durant, the eminent historians of world history, says: India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.1

Will Durant further says that nearly every kind of manufacture or product known to the civilized world, existing anywhere and prized either for its utility or beauty had long, long been produced in India. India was a far greater industrial and manufacturing nation than any in Europe or than any other in Asia.

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her exquisite jewellery and precious stones cut in every lovely form; so were her pottery, porcelains, and ceramics of every kind, quality, colour and beautiful shape. Such was the India which the British found when they came.

And what did the colonial rulers do to India? In late 1880s and early 1890s, When Swami Vivekananda walked the length and breadth of the country as an itinerant monk, he was moved by what he saw. As he walked India, he obviously knew of the glorious India Will Durant describes in such detail. Swamiji referred to this as the ‘India Eternal’. But he was confronted with a ‘present’, the India that was abysmally pathetic.

When the British came, India was economically and culturally a progressive country. But politically Indians were weak and divided. It is because Indians lacked political unity that invaders governed them for a thousand years. The result was social backwardness, neglect of masses and ceasing of all interaction with the outside world.

Swami Vivekananda, who had a firsthand experience of India, as a serious student of history, felt these were the causes for India’s downfall.

Socially-engaged Spirituality Among the great minds that modern India had the good fortune of having, Swamiji was the first to declare that the root of Indian

The author is the Chairman, Indus Quality Foundation, New Delhi.

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mind was spirituality. If India neglects spirituality, she starves her national life, he said. Sri Ramakrishna, Swamiji’s teacher, wanted this spirituality to become a part of Indian life once again. Sri Ramakrishna said: There are two types of Paramhamsas: the Jnani and the Premi. The Jnani is self-centered. He feels that it is enough to have knowledge of his own Self. The Premi, like Shukadeva, after attaining his own realization, teaches men. Some eat mangoes and wipe off the traces from their mouths; but some share their mangoes with others. Spades and baskets are needed to dig a well. After the digging is over, some throw away the spade and the basket into the well. But others put them away so that a neighbour may use them. Shukadeva and a few others kept the spade and basket for the benefit of others. You should do the same.2

India needs more of Premi-s. The natural tendency is to be a Jnani. This becomes clear when we study the encounter Swami Vivekananda had with Sri Ramakrishna.

Swami Vivekananda had been pestering Sri Ramakrishna for a spiritual experience. Sri Ramakrishna asked him what he wanted.

Swami Vivekananda explained that he wanted to remain immersed in the spiritual experience, and come out of it briefly, only to eat some food. Sri Ramakrishna chided Naren and said that he thought Swami Vivekananda would be like a banyan tree, under which millions of suffering souls would find comfort.

Thus Sri Ramakrishna gave Indian spirituality a new and path-breaking direction.

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initially faced from his own brother-disciples.

They thought that in asking them to serve the poor and the downtrodden, Swami Vivekananda was trying to teach something different from what Sri Ramakrishna talked about. According to them, Sri Ramakrishna, emphasized meditation, prayers and Japa with God realization as the goal.

But soon the ideal Swamiji placed before modern minds became clear. Putting all conflicts and debates to rest, Swami Vivekananda enshrined his message in the motto of Ramakrishna Mission: atmano mokshartham jagat hitay cha—‘for the liberation of oneself and for the welfare of the world.

We might say, in the light of Swamiji’s life—in the welfare of the world lies our liberation.

If one wants true definition of ‘enlightened citizen’, then one has it in this wonderful motto Swamiji set forth. He combined spirituality and service and this is the ideal of enlightened citizenship.

Enlightened Citizenship Today What is the need of enlightened citizenship? The reality is there are two India-s: The India Eternal, as she existed most gloriously, through centuries, earlier than 1000 years back, and the present India with its corruption, lawlessness, poverty, illiteracy and the chaos and the mess that we see all around. For the glory of Eternal India to manifest, we need enlightened citizens. And this has to be done by developing an approach which should be rooted in India’s history and Indian needs.

If one looks back into India’s rich spiritual and cultural traditions, one finds that

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citizenship is not new to India. India indeed had many republics. In Bhagwat Purana one reads that Mathura was a republic and people used to elect their leaders. Kamsa manipulated the system to become a dictator.

If we try to date Kamsa, we are already going back some 5000 years. But if we look at our history, since 1000 A.D. onwards, we find several kingdoms, with lots of infighting and local kingdoms, conspiring and helping foreign invaders, to defeat their own countrymen. Swami Vivekananda traced this to mutual jealousy, which he called, as ‘the sign of slavery.’

India became free politically and economically in 1947. After the unfortunate division of India, some 542 princely states were integrated into a republic, thanks to the determination and genius of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. This implies that till recently we were habituated only being subjects of kings. Becoming a free citizen, enjoying the right to elect one’s own government began some 70 years back. While we have political citizenship, we are yet to develop enlightened citizenship—i.e., to become responsible, enlightened citizen who can contribute to the well-being of oneself and others (atmano mokshartham and jagad hitaya).

This is crucial to carry forward the unique spiritual and cultural legacy and manifest the inherent greatness as a nation.

There are several instances of enlightened citizenship and deep concern in the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Akhandananda, a brother-disciple of Swami Vivekananda, wrote:

the disease. Swami the whole day sat with his head on a pillow. Then I heard in Calcutta three fourths of the population had left the metropolis owing to the plague epidemic. That’s why Swamiji had become so serious. The Swami said at that time: ‘We have to serve them, even though we are required to sell everything. We were only wandering monks living under a tree.

We shall stay under a tree.

On May 3 the Swami reached Calcutta, although his health was not good. He thought he might be of help to his people. They were terror stricken by the plague and dismayed by the plague regulations. It was as if a storm were about to burst over Calcutta. People were fleeing in panic.

Troops were called to quell riots. The Swami grasped the gravity of the situation at once. On the day of his arrival at the Math he drafted a plague manifesto in Bengali and Hindi. He wanted to start relief operations immediately to help the afflicted. When a brother-monk asked him: ‘Swamiji where will the funds come from?’

He replied with a sudden fierceness of decision: ‘Why, we shall sell the newly bought [Belur] Math grounds, if necessary!3

Fortunately the extreme step was not necessary as help came in.

In Swamiji’s Inspiring Words Some of Swamiji’s well-known statements on his intense concern for others may be cited here:

Swamiji had been such a jolly person. Suddenly one morning I found that he had become serious. The whole day he did not eat anything, nor did he talk with anybody. The doctor was immediately called, but could not diagnose T h e

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First of all try to ameliorate the terrible distress that is prevailing everywhere, to still the heartrending cry of your hungry countrymen for a morsel of food; after that come to me to have a debate on the Vedanta. To stake one’s whole life and soul to save thousands who are dying of starvation--this is the essence of the religion of the Vedanta!4 So long as even a dog of my country remains without food, to feed and take care of him is my religion, and anything else is either non-religion or false religion!5 M AY

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Practical patriotism means not a mere sentiment or even emotion of love of the motherland but a passion to serve our fellow-countrymen. . . . Let no one talk of Karma. If it was their Karma to suffer, it is our Karma to relieve the suffering. If you want to find God, serve man.

To reach Narayana you must serve the Daridra Narayanas—the starving millions of India.6 Him I call a Mahatman (great soul) whose heart bleeds for the poor, otherwise he is a Duratman (wicked soul) . . . So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them!7 This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.8

In these few lines, Swamiji has detailed the ideal of true enlightened citizenship.

What is Enlightened Citizenship The following anecdote illustrates the ideal of enlightened citizenship.

Vinobha Bhave, the well-known Gandhian and leader of the Sarvodaya Movement, was a deeply religious man. His held Badrivishala as his Ishta deva (chosen ideal). He made several pilgrimages to Badrinath in Himalayas. Once when he became quite old, he went to Badrinath, perhaps for the last time. It was difficult journey those days. There were no roads and one had to mountain terrain on foot.

As Vinobha Bhave went, he saw some labourers who were breaking stones in order to make the road. He asked one of them, ‘What are you doing?’

The labourer replied rudely, ‘Cannot you see, I am breaking stones?’

‘Why are you breaking stones?’ asked Vinobha Bhave.

‘To earn, fill my stomach, came the angry retort.

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After walking some distance, Vinobha asked another labourer, ‘What are you doing?’

‘Can not you see, I am breaking stones?’ came the response. To the question why he was breaking stones, this labourer replied that he had to fend for his family.

The people accompanying Vinobha Bhave wondered why he was getting himself insulted by these petty labourers. Now Vinobha Bhave was approaching Badrinath.

He sighted another labourer breaking stones.

He walked up to him and asked him, ‘What are you doing?’

The labourer replied very politely, ‘Babaji, I am breaking stones.’

To the question why stones were being broken by him, he replied courteously, ‘I am making a road, so that you will not face much trouble reaching Badrinath.’

Vinobha Bhave hugged that labourer and said that he could now die in peace, because there was at least one enlightened citizen in the country.

The story indicates that one can operate as a citizen at three levels. v At the first level, one is only concerned with oneself. v At the second level, one’s concern is for the family is paramount. v At the third level, one is working for oneself, taking care of the family, but mentally you are thinking of how that action shall take care of the welfare of others.

The first is the animal level, second is an ‘enlightened’ animal and the third is divine level.

In the language of the Gita, the first level is Tamasic. There are three gunas, qualities, in nature: Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. Tamas is characterized by darkness, laziness, inertia; it is closest to animal nature. Rajas is characterized by activity, it is enlightened animal nature.

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Sattva represents harmony, knowledge; it is beyond Tamas and Rajas. The labourer working for ‘filling his stomach’ is at the level of Tamas. The one working for the family is at the Rajasika level. The third labourer thinking of the comfort of others is at the Sattvika level.

Becoming an enlightened citizen, involves, raising the level of consciousness, from Tamas to Rajas and to Sattva.

Making of Enlightened Citizens The task of making enlightened citizens must begin early in life. It should be part of one’s education and upbringing. To bring about a transformation is not an easy task.

How does inner change happen? Adi Shankracharya says that this happens kramaaghaatvat—over a period of time. He gives the example of a labourer, trying to split a rock, using a hammer and chisel. It is the 100th strike of the hammer on the chisel, which splits the rock. Are the 99 strikes not required then? Of course, very much; without that the rock will never split. Likewise, the Yogasutras of Patanjali say (cf. 2.14), ‘Sa tu deergha-kalenirantare-satkar-sevita drida-bhumi’—one’s mind changes after long, uninterrupted practice, done with joy. Inner change, which precedes outside change, can only take place gradually—over a period of time. Mere listening to a lecture or reading an article or book cannot achieve it. One needs to practice for a long time. As Swamiji points out,

base impressions. Never say any man is hopeless, because he only represents a character, a bundle of habits, which can be checked by new and better ones. Character is repeated habits, and repeated habits alone can reform character.9

Another important requirement for making enlightened citizens is trividha sandhi —the coming together of three vital persons— mother, father and the teacher. The mother has to give the growing child the idea of purity, i.e. right and wrong. The father has to give the idea of discipline. Only when these two are present that the instructions of the third, the teachers, becomes effective.

While all the three are needed, to begin with, we need to create trained and motivated resource persons or teachers, with the right message and the right approach. There is need to set up centres of human excellence in every school and college to transform students to into enlightened citizens. What is required the coming together of will. Swami Vivekananda wrote a century ago, It is will that is the power. . . Why is it . . that forty millions of Englishmen rule three hundred millions of people here? What is the psychological explanation? These forty millions put their wills together and that means infinite power, and you three hundred millions have a will each separate from the other. Therefore to make a great future in India, the whole secret lies in organisation, accumulation of power, coordination of wills.10 o

Go on doing good, thinking holy thoughts continuously; that is the only way to suppress References 1. The Case for India, p.3 2. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 679 3. Life, p.328 4. Life, 2:440 5. Life, ibid 6. Life, 1:338 7. CW, 5.58 8. CW, 4:363 9. CW, 1:208 10. CW, 3.299 T h e

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The Order on the March Ramakrishna Math and Mission—News and Notes

Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda The Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with our centres in the State, held youth congregations in all the 30 districts of Karnataka on 11 January. In each district about 600 to 800 youths participated in the programmes, which included screening of a documentary on Swamiji.

On 13 February, Calcutta Tram Corporation (CTC) launched two trams, Vivek Tirtha and Parivrajak, to spread awareness about the life and message of Swamiji. Vivek Tirtha is an exhibition tram displaying letters, pictures, speeches and biography of Swamiji. It will be stationed at different CTC depots in Kolkata till 15 April 2013. Parivrajak is a passenger tram decorated with the pictures and quotations of Swamiji. The General Secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Swami Suhitananda, flagged off the trams and addressed the meeting organized on this occasion.

The following centres organized various programmes to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. (Main programmes conducted by them are mentioned against their names.)

Allahabad: An intra-faith conference from 7 to 9 February at the Kumbha Mela camp in which several scholarly monks of various Hindu denominations and groups delivered talks.

Baranagar Math: Youth convention on 2 February which was attended by 500 delegates. Swami Suhitananda delivered the inaugural address, released a book and a DVD, and inaugurated the exhibition set up on the occasion. Spiritual retreat on 4 February in which 400 devotees participated and cultural programmes at Girish Mancha, Baghbazar, on 8 February which were attended by about 900 people, were the highlights.

Belgaum: Quiz contests in January in which 271 students from 3 schools participated.

Chandigarh: Students’ convention on 28 January in which 150 students took part. Teachers’ convention on 29 January in which 130 teachers participated.

Chengalpattu: Processions, devotional music and film shows on Swamiji was organised at Melakandai, Aurimedu, Mazhuvankaranai, Kollampakkam, Orakatupetai, Pandur, Kotapunjai, Sirunallur, Melavasalai on 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27 January, and 2, 9, 16 & 17 February respectively.

Coimbatore Mission: An interschool kabadi tournament on 1 February in which about 420 students from 32 schools took part. A youth rally on 2 February in which nearly 1000 students participated.

Cooch Behar: District-level youth convention on 6 February in which about 1500 students participated.

Dehradun (Kishanpur): At the initiative of the centre, a seven-foot bronze statue of Swamiji was installed at the Mussorie Diversion Circle by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on 12 January.

Delhi: A programme of classical devotional songs on 17 February was attended by nearly 400 people.

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Guwahati: Procession, youth convention, public meetings, quiz competition and cultural programmes were held from 8 to 10 February. About 2000 persons participated in the procession and nearly 400 people attended other programmes.

Hyderabad: Workshop on the theme Leadership Lessons from Swami Vivekananda for the Youth on 23 February which was attended by nearly 700 youths.

Institute of Culture, Kolkata: A national seminar on Indian Traditions in Search of Unity through Music on 9 and 10 February in which 12 papers were read out. Musical presentations formed a part of the seminar to appreciate the extent of unity in Indian music. About 100 persons attended the programme.

Also, an art exhibition on the theme Renaissance of India and the World: Life and Mission of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda was inaugurated on 17 February. The exhibition was on display till 14 March 2013.

Kanchipuram: Speeches and cultural competitions in one school and one college on 15 February which were attended altogether by 550 students.

Kankurgachhi: The centre has started ‘Vivekananda Endowment Lecture’. The first lecture, delivered

by Swami Chetanananda on 9 February, was attended by about 1000 people.

Kanpur: Speeches, devotional music and youth convention from 16 to 18 February. In all, 750 persons attended the programme.

Khetri: State-level youth convention on 9 February in which 4000 youths participated.

Limbdi: Talks on the life and message of Swamiji in five educational institutions between 6 and 18 February, which were attended by nearly 3800 students in all.

Madurai: Swami Vivekananda reached Madurai on 2 February 1897 on his triumphant return from the West. He was given a reception and Swamiji gave his reply. In commemoration of this event, Madurai Math held a special function on 2 February 2013 which was attended by about 600 people. Leaflets containing the address of welcome given to Swamiji at Madurai and his reply to it were given to all the audience.

Medinipur: Youth convention on 13 January in which 354 students and 42 teachers from 24 schools participated.

Mumbai: At the initiative of the centre, the crossing of Ramakrishna Mission Marg and 12th Road, Khar (West), Mumbai, was named Swami Vivekananda Chowk on 3 February.

Nagpur: Swami Vivekananda Swadhyayamala: Under this project, students are supplied with books on Swamiji, and they have to answer some questions on his life. About 2,17,000 students of 1600 schools have participated in this project till now. Teachers’ Project: Under this project 2500 teachers from 11 districts of Maharashtra submitted essays, theses, research articles, drawings, stories, skits and poems on the life and teachings of Swamiji. Inter-school Group Singing Competition: Final round was conducted on 9 January in which students of 16 schools in Nagpur participated.

Ratha Yatra: A ratha (literally means ‘chariot’), along with bookstall, exhibition and animated movie on Swamiji, covered 11 districts of Maharashtra from 14 December 2012 to 31 January 2013. About 1,10,000 copies of pamphlets with pictures and quotations of Swamiji were distributed during the Ratha Yatra.

Porbandar: Programmes on the life and message of Swamiji from July 2012 to January 2013 in 25 schools which were attended altogether by 4570 students and 198 teachers.

Puri Mission: Sadhu Sammelan (congregation of monks) on 3 February in which 116 monks of various T h e

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monasteries in Puri town participated. Seminar, state-level interfaith dialogue and intra-faith dialogue from 16 to 18 February which were attended altogether by about 700 people.

Ramharipur: Public meeting and cultural programmes on 25 January which were attended by nearly 4000 people. Towards the end of his life, Swami Vivekananda one day fed a group of Santhal men and women at Belur Math with many kinds of delicious dishes. In commemoration of this event, Swamiji’s admirers and devotees, under the auspices of Ramharipur centre, invited 151 Santhals from 6 nearby villages to Ramharipur Ashrama on 25 February 2013, served them with noon food and gave each of them one dhoti / sari, a bathing soap, hair oil and Rs. 100/-.

Salem: Various programmes in 39 educational institutions from 3 January to 5 February were attended by about 15,000 students in all.

Sargachhi: Speeches and cultural programmes, including classical music renderings, at Berhampore on 12 and 13 January.

Swamiji’s Ancestral House: Lectures at the centre on 23 January and 9 February which were attended altogether by 1200 devotees. A programme at Netaji Bhavan, Kolkata, on 24 January was attended by 650 people. Five lectures and public meetings in and around Kolkata in January and February were attended by 2700 persons in all.

Taki: A procession on 10 February in which around 850 people participated.

Vadodara: A lecture for NCC cadets at Ahmedabad on 13 January was attended by 275 cadets. A public meeting on 24 January on The Relevance of the Life and Message of Swami Vivekananda. A state-level written quiz competition from June 2012 to February 2013 in which 71,349 students of 1233 schools in Gujarat participated. Four state-level prizes and 77 district-level prizes were given on 17 February. o Andhra Pradesh Ratha Yatra In Vishakhapatnam As part of the 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations, an All Andhra Pradesh Vivekananda Ratha Yatra was flagged off on 11th September 2012. The Ratha Yatra will travel the state of Andhra Pradesh for 16 months covering nearly 200 villages, towns, district headquarters, and so on. The Ratha Yatra reached Vishakhapatnam on 20 February 2013. Welcomed by a long procession of students and devotees, the Ratha was taken around the city in a grand manner. A public meeting was held on Ramakrishna Beach where more than 15000 people were present. o

Vivekananda Ratha at Vishakhapatnam

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Procession at the Ramakrishna Beach

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Outside India Paris: Swami Vivekananda came to Paris being invited to the Congress of the History of Religions in Sorbonne held under the auspices of the Universal Exhibition in 1900. He stayed at 23 Rue Gazan which was renumbered to 39 in 1904. The apartment was owned by writer-journalist Jules Bois. Swamiji was impressed by the hospitality of the people and he wrote: ’Paris is the new home of freedom; it has infused a new life in Europe’. Hence it was proposed by the devotees and admirers of Swami Vivekananda to have a plaque on the façade of the building.

On 8 March 2012, the plaque was unveiled by the Chargée des Affaires of the Embassy of India, Mrs Gaitri Kumar, Mayor of Paris, 14th District Mr Pascal Cherki, Deputy Mayor of the City of Paris, in the presence of several other dignitaries. This was followed by a meeting at the Salle Indira Gandhi of the Maison de l'Inde where eminent speakers addressed the gathering.

Earlier an exhibition on the life and teaching of Swami Vivekananda was formally inaugurated on 13 October 2012. The exhibition was open for public until 21 October at the Town Hall entrance. It was later displayed in many other places in Paris.

San Francisco (USA): A panel discussion and a multimedia presentation on Swamiji at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco, on 23 February. About 800 people attended the programmes.

Bagerhat (Bangladesh): Procession, devotees’ convention, public meetings and cultural programmes from 19 to 22 February. A large number of people attended the four-day celebration which was inaugurated on 19 February by the General Secretary.

Barisal (Bangladesh): A two-day programme comprising procession, public meeting and classical music renderings on 15 and 16 February was attended altogether by about 2000 people.

Dinajpur (Bangladesh): Procession, discourses, educational conference and cultural programmes on 22 and 23 February. About 3500 persons participated in the procession and 400 delegate-teachers took part in the educational conference.

Kathmandu (Nepal): Satsangs (religious gatherings) at Pathamari on 6 and 7 January were attended by nearly 1200 people. A programme on 12 January in which Sri Ram Baran Yadav, President of Nepal, and Sri Jayant Prasad, Indian Ambassador to Nepal, delivered speeches. Around 450 people, including several dignitaries, attended the programme.

Mauritius: A public function at the centre on 24 February in which Sri Rajkeswur Purryag, President, Republic of Mauritius, and Sri T P Seetaram, High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, spoke. About 350 people attended the programme.o

Meeting at the Mauritius Ashrama

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Book Review

For review in The Vedanta Kesari, publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

Sanskrit is Fun —Part 1 to 3 Edited by Warwick Jessup and Elena Jessup Book I, pp. 74+x, Rs. 95.

Book II, pp. 76+x, Rs. 95.

Book III, pp. 59+x, Rs. 95.

Swami Vivekananda equates Indian culture with the knowledge of Sanskrit language. Referring to this he says, ‘Culture withstands shocks, but not a simple mass of knowledge. Knowledge and gems of spirituality are preserved in the glorious Sanskrit language. So, Sanskrit education must go on along with teaching of spiritual ideas because the very sound of the Sanskrit word gives prestige and power and strength to the race.’

Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages.

Its relevance and greatness among the world languages is unparalleled. There is a growing interest in western countries to study this ancient and beautiful language. The set of books on Sanskrit leaning under review is an indication of this enthusiasm.

Professors Warwick Jessup and Elena Jessup, two eminent teachers of James Schools in London, have put all their experience in their attempt to teach Sanskrit in a simple and systematic way.

Their effort towards dispelling the wrong notion that Sanskrit is a language difficult to comprehend is truly commendable. The title of the book Sanskrit is Fun is highly suggestive. Indeed Sanskrit can be learnt easily—with much fun.

In the first group of Sanskrit is Fun, comprising 3 volumes, the learners are introduced to Devanagari—‘the city of gods’, the script of Sanskrit language. The letters have been grouped according to their place of articulation, designated as ‘family’ (comprising both vowels and consonants). This is in accordance with the rules of grammar set by T h e

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the designer of Sanskrit grammar, Acharya Panini.

Learners are first taught how to write the Sanskrit alphabet. However, the illustrations of animals do not corroborate the letters of the alphabet. They might have been introduced for the sake of little children, who would find it fun. In the next step, combining vowels (gunitakshara) with consonants is taught. Then writing the joint consonants (samyuktaaskshara) and finally, formation of words and sentences are taught. ***

The Story of Rama Book VI, pp. 125+xviii, Rs. 175.

Book VII, pp. 137+xiv, Rs. 175.

The Stories of Krishna Book IV, pp. 76+xiv, Rs. 175.

Book V, pp. 189+xv, Rs. 175.

Edited by Warwick Jessup and Elena Jessup First Indian Edition, Paperback.

All five books published in 2012 by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, 41, UA Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007.

The second group of Sanskrit is Fun, comprises four volumes. Titled Stories of Krishna (in two volumes) and Stories of Rama (two volumes), this second group of Sanskrit is Fun covers the formation of nouns and the conjugation of verbs in all three tenses. Adjectives and prepositions are also covered through the narration of these two epic stories. It is indeed easy and pleasant experience to learn Sanskrit through these popular stories. It makes one like Sanskrit!

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Large size of letters used in the books makes them very reader-friendly. But illustrations of some of the letters of the alphabet are different from the actual letters found in most Sanskrit dictionaries. e.g., G N> E are found to be different.

Also illustrations and dresses used for depicting the stories (take for instance Lakshmana) need to reflect Indian cultural ethos.

All the seven volumes (3+2+2) are a commendable effort in popularising Sanskrit teaching/ learning, without compromising the Sanskrit’s grammatical vigour, and deserves appreciation.

The books should be read with interest by all young readers interested in improving their knowledge of Sanskrit. Let the Sanskrit regain its rightful place in the world of languages! _____________________________ K L PRASANNAKSHI, MYSORE

Vedanta: The Solution to our fundamental problems

By D. Venugopal Published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapati Munshi Marg, Mumbai 400 007. 2012, paperback, pp.324, Rs.125.

Swami Chinmayananda (1899-1987) brought the pristine traditional teaching of Advaita Vedanta from his guru, Sri Tapovan Maharaj in the Himalayas, to the people in the plains. His tradition has been flourishing under the commendable efforts of his disciple Swami Dayananda Saraswati and his disciples under the Arsha Vidya group of Ashrams and teachers.

Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati, a teacher in that line, has taken this teaching still further. To suit the modern minds, these great personalities have evolved methods to teach the same traditional Vedanta effectively using contemporary examples and concepts. Their exposition (available as books and CDS) of the various traditional texts and discussions on various modern topics are now considered as the authentic voice of traditional Hinduism.

Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati’s ‘Introduction to Vedanta’ series of 16 crisp and comprehensive one-hour lectures, which are freely T h e

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available as audio files from a number of sources on the internet, and also available in CD and book form, has been the guiding light for innumerable serious spiritual seekers. This landmark lecture series has brought great clarity on various topics in a systematic manner. Spiritual seekers have been looking forward to a book to take them into more detailed exposition of Vedanta according to the same tradition. This book is the answer to this longing.

Sri D. Venugopal, the author/compiler of the present volume, is a student of both Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati. He has explained the intricacies of Advaita Vedanta in a manner that is accessible to lay readers. Swami Dayananda Saraswati writes in his foreword to this book, ‘Vedanta, being not a system, consists of different prakriyas, methods to unfold what defies words, through words. It is a method employed to shift one’s own scale of vision from the error of separateness to the reality of oneness. To capture this in a book, without committing the blunder of making it a system, is no easy task. . . His [Venugopal’s] unfolding of the vision through these prakriyas, is thorough and deft. Positioning himself as a companion on a journey of discovery, Sri Venugopal’s successful use of scholarship as a tool while avoiding the trap of scholasticism brings depth to his work. He not only unfolds, but analyzes the subject matter with precision, and provides abundant, pertinent references to sruti and smrti.

Thus, this book not only makes the subject matter accessible to the new student, but is a valuable work for those who have had some exposure to the teaching.’

Swami Paramarthananda concurs and writes, ‘I recommend this book to all spiritual seekers who want to study Vedanta in a systematic way.’

The first seven chapters in the book set the stage for the exposition. They analyze the basic human problem of suffering and show how it can be mapped to be purely the result of ignorance of one’s own true nature. They also discuss the qualifications of the student and the teacher, Vedanta as the source of knowledge and the method of teaching.

The rest of chapters lead the reader into analysis on the traditional lines on the various topics: v Analysis of the self from different points of view

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43 v Revelation about Brahman in the Upanishads v Resolution of Jiva, Jagat and Ishvara into Brahman v Understanding tat-tvam-asi mahavakya v Methods of gaining jnana-nishtha v Nature of jivanmukti and jivanmukta The senses and mind are designed only to study objects. They do not have access to the subject which is behind the senses and the mind. Similarly, the senses and mind are designed only to study the properties of objects. They do not have access to the nature of the substance beyond the properties.

So, either we have to remain inconclusive about these two, or we can rely on the Vedas as the authority. The Vedas reveal both these as Pure Consciousness. No other experience or logic can prove or disprove these two axioms because they are beyond their jurisdiction. We can only take these as axioms and work out the logical implications. The implications are not contrary to experience. So they can be accepted without any conflict with logic or experience. The benefit of the implications is astounding. It brings an end to all sorrow.

Vedanta approach to reality may be stated as: ‘Anything that can be objectified is not me. Thus, the body, the mind and the apparent subject cannot be me. I, called the Atman, am the pure conscious witness, which merely illumines everything. I do not have any qualities and so ‘I’ am beyond all changes. So I am beyond all limitations of space, time and causation. The fundamental substance of the universe is consciousness. Everything is an appearance of names and forms in the infinite partless consciousness, which is called the Brahman.

Thus Atman and Brahman are the same. It is only the limiting adjuncts that make them appear as though different.’

The seventeenth chapter of the book takes up various popular misconceptions in spiritual life, analyzes them logically and establishes the traditional views on them. Some of the topics discussed are: v Can Jnana be combined with karma as a means to attain moksha? v Are not alternate means (other than Vedanta vichara) available to gain moksha? v Is not the elimination of thoughts the only means to self-realization?

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v

Does not the enquiry ‘Who am I?’ reveal

the self? v Is it not necessary to remove Vasanas [desires] to gain moksha? v Is not cleaning of Panchakoshas necessary to remove the pollution from Atman? v What is Self-experience (atma-anubhava)?

This book is a must for every serious spiritual seeker. It explains Advaita Vedanta clearly in modern terminology while remaining strongly rooted in tradition. __________________________ R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHENNAI

Introspections on the Gita

By Narayan Singh Masuda Published by New Age Books, A-44 Naraina Phase-I, New Delhi 110 028. 2012, First Indian Edition, Paperback, pp.

125+xx, Rs. 225.

The BhagavadGita is a book that has served humanity for millennia as a standard text for leading a meaningful life. For a long time, it was the prerogative of great scholars to write commentaries on it. But, in recent times, it has caught the attention of lay people also. And quite a good number of them have been putting down their thoughts in print. These have not been commentaries in the traditional sense of the term, but more of introspections on the relevance of the book for the common man. This book also is one such.

The author of the book is Sri Narayan Singh Masuda, who left it in the form of a manuscript in the hands of his grand daughter. After his passing way, the book was fished out and published by his son, Sri Indrajit Singh Rathore. The author himself explains, in the Preface, the reason for writing this book. What, apparently, seems to have impressed him about this book is its Bhakti Yoga. Hence, the main emphasis is on Bhakti and its practice.

There are as many chapters in the book as there are in the Gita itself. Each one of the chapters of the book is dedicated to one chapter of the Gita. Each chapter confines itself to a brief analysis of the corresponding Gita chapter, with

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a few choice Shlokas from that chapter in their English translation. Only what is relevant has been discussed. The discussion is quite straightforward, and makes for easy reading.

The book ends with an epilogue, summarizing the message of the Gita in the form of major themes, illustrated by appropriate Shlokas. This helps the reader in consolidating his thoughts.

This is an interesting book, which deserves serious attention. One extraordinary feature of the Gita is that it is very difficult to anticipate, on a cursory reading, which Shlokas or chapters impress the reader. The advantage of this book is that it serves as a good starting point for those who want to get into a deeper study of the subject.

The book is well got-up and is easy on the eyes to read. The author and the editor need to be complimented on their efforts. ______________________________ NVC SWAMY, BANGALORE

Finding Peace of Mind

By J.P. Vaswani Published by Full Circle, Gita Publishing House, 10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune 411 001. 2011, paperback, Pp.243, Rs.300 How to be happy?

Sadhu Vaswani, the celebrated author of this book, says that without peace of mind, there is no happiness.

How to achieve peace of mind? The author has something more to say, ‘The secret of happiness lies not in the number of things you possess but that you can do without. ‘ The steps to eternal happiness begin with healthy body and healthy mind. Sadhu Vaswani shows us the way to holistic health, which is the basis of all that we value and cherish in human life—success, achievement, etc. Above all, it is also the basis of spiritual unfoldment and inner peace.

Disciplines including Brahmacharya, vegetarian diet, fasting are prescribed for mental and physical

well-being. A positive way of thinking, emotional maturity in old age and tips for peace of mind are dealt with in detail. They help one to gain control over mind. All these themes are explained in the simplest manner possible without any technicalities.

The style of writing is one of soothing nature, like a mother comforting her child.

In order to achieve peace of mind, we have to burn anger, overcome irritations, conquer the stress and vanquish the fear. Sri Vaswani shows how to do all this. The third section is titled ‘Rediscovering the Joy of Living’. As we grow older, life becomes a misery, and our experiences more painful. Sadhu Vaswani advises us to be like little children, laugh as much as we can, accept the inevitable in life, have real fun out of life and take serious things lightly and light things seriously. The above tips are grouped in separate chapters, making the reading really enjoyable and at the same time an enlightening experience.

The fourth section is quite thought-provoking.

Sadhu Vaswani explains the Law of Karma and its practical implications in our joy and suffering. We can change the fortune of our life, he says, provided we believe in our strength to achieve and work hard never ever giving up. Surely the venerable author transforms the Karma theory into something positive and dynamic, which guides and inspires all day-to-today activities.

The last chapter elevates the subject to a spiritual realm. This world and our life in it have a meaning. Suffering too has a purpose. It is by following the spiritual path that we appreciate this fact. Observance of silence, prayer and meditation serves as a great discipline to achieve spiritual wisdom. Everything will pass away; there is no absolute death at all; we are never alone— these words of wisdom not only refresh our mind but also brings out inner joy and contentment normally covered up by negative thoughts and illusions.

In all, this book is of immense value since its emphasis is on the sublimation of mental stress through spiritual means. ________________________ SWAMI VIRESHANANDA, MYSORE

He who is able to renounce all for His sake is a living God. —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi T h e

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Welcome to a Spiritual Feast!

Reminiscences of Three Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna

Swami Brahmananda As We Saw Him Hardbound, Pages 588 + xii Price: Rs. 200/- + Postage: Rs.35/- per copy

Swami Adbhutananda As We Saw Him Hardback, Pages 464 + xvi Price: Rs. 175/- + Postage: Rs.25/- per copy

Swami Ramakrishnananda As We Saw Him Hardback, Pages ix + 525 Price: Rs. 180/- + Postage: Rs.30/- per copy

request for vpp will not be entertained

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email: mail@chennaimath.org

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Jai Hanuman

New Release

Swami Raghaveshananda

Hanuman is a popular God worshipped throughout the country. This book covers the well known qualities of Hanuman, namely His valour and humility, strength and knowledge, his service and devotion to Sri Rama and continuous chanting of Rama-nama. A special feature of this book is the extensive coverage of Sundarakandam, an important portion of Ramayana which is reverentially read by devotees.

Especially meant the children and younger readers, the book is graphically illustrated with many pictures and drawings on Hanuman.

Pages viii + 128

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Price: Rs. 150/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy.

Request for VPP will not be entertained

A Pilgrimage to Western Ghats Temples Swami Atmashraddhananda

New Release

The Western Ghats, a mountain range in the western India, are famous for their rich green cover, spectacular valleys and rushing rivers. They enshrine several reputed and ancient temples where millions of devotees offer their worship every year. Based on a travelogue, this book focuses on some of these temples in Karnataka, describing their spiritual, cultural and architectural features and introduces the readers to India’s living spiritual tradition in these parts.

Richly illustrated with many pictures.

Pages vi + 130

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Price: Rs. 35/- + Postage: Rs.23/-for single copy.

Request for VPP will not be entertained

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The Secret of Happiness

New Release

Swami Brahmeshananda

A compilation of articles by the author, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, on the problem of the universal suffering and the struggle for happiness in which humanity is engaged from times immemorial. The book is based on the fact that ‘the solution of a problem does not mean release from it, for out of that solution new problems arise’. Hence, Spiritual solution can be the only lasting solution to the problem of suffering. This book points to the various ways in which eternal bliss can be achieved.

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Pages x + 230

Price: Rs. 40/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy.

Request for VPP will not be entertained

New Release

Yoga in Day-to-Day Life

Swami Brahmeshananda How many really know that Yoga is much more than mere bodily postures and breathcontrol? According to Patanjali, Yoga has eight limbs aimed at total extinction of all suffering.

The book has chapters on the common theme of yoga as well as on basis of Yoga—five Yamas, universal moral values, and Niyama, the specific disciplines a true Yoga seeker much practice.

There are sections on asana and Pranayama.

Pratyahara, Dharana, Japa and meditation. The book introduces the reader to the various limbs of Yoga in order to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

Pages xiv + 250

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Price: Rs. 50/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy.

Request for VPP will not be entertained

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Joy of Spirituality Joy is what everyone is searching for.

Irrespective of what one is and does, it is joy that one is seeking. Some succeed in getting joy, some remain unhappy. Real joy, says Sri Ramakrishna, is the joy of the spirituality. Sri Ramakrishna himself was Joy Personified.

This book, comprising articles published in the December 2011 issue of the Vedanta Kesari, dwells on various aspects of his life and message and how one can become joyful by living the spiritual ideal he embodied.

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Pages vi + 329 Price: Rs. 80/- + Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy.

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For Your Kind Attention We are in the process of collecting the reminiscences of Srimat Swami Yatiswaranandaji Maharaj (1889-1966) and Srimat Swami Tapasyanandaji Maharaj (1904-1991), two illustrious Vice Presidents of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, and publish them as two separate books. In this connection, we request all our devotees, friends and others who have been initiated or have known them in some way to send us their memories/letters/ photographs for inclusion in the book. You may either email or send us by post by 30 May 2013, to the following address: The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math R.K. Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004, Tamilnadu E-mail: mail@chennaimath.or

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SRI RAMAKRISHNA ADVAITA ASHRAMA (HQS: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Belur Math) P.O. Kalady, Ernakulam-683574, Kerala Phone: 0484-2462345, Mob: 9447051231 E-mail: srkaadv@dataone.in The Ashrama has been running a free hostel for the poor & underprivileged children from classes V to X since 1936. They are provided with food, uniforms, accommodation and education up to Xth Std. absolutely free of charge. They are enrolled in the school managed by the Ashrama within its campus.

There is an urgent need for repair and renovation of the old hostel buildings and also creating a ‘Hostel Corpus Fund’ of Rs. 2 Crores for maintaining the hostel with 100 boys.

We appeal to the generous public, friends and well wishers to donate liberally for this most essential educational project.

You are also welcome to donate towards various other regular activities: a) Daily Puja & Seva; b) General Maintenance of the Ashrama; c) Charitable Dispensary; d) Widows’ Welfare.

Donations towards the activities of the Ashrama are exempt from Income Tax under 80G. Cheques or Bank Drafts may be drawn in favour of ‘Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Kalady’ and sent to the above address. Donations also can be sent directly through RTGS/NEFT to our A/c No. 338602010009164 at Union Bank of India, Kalady (IFSC Code: UBIN0533866).

Swami Amaleshananda Adhyaksha

Universal Temple

Dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna G. Venkataramana Reddy Universal Temple of Sri Ramakrishna at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, is a landmark, incorporating features of many architectural traditions. Dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna, the temple draws hundreds of devotees and visitors daily. This book in multi-colour gives details of the origin and significance of the architectural designs of the temple. It has 40 pictures and also texts of the talks given by Swami Bhuteshananda and Swami Ranganathananda on the significance of Ramakrishna temples.

G. Venkataramana Reddy, the author, is wellknown for his designs of several Ramakrishna temples in different parts of India.

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Pages viii + 72. Price: Rs. 75/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy.

Request for VPP will not be entertained

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NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE (FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED) TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI - 517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.] E-mail: sreenavajeevan@gmail.com Website: www.navajeevan.org

An Appeal 34 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012 1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children – Tirupati, Parlekhimundi, Golamunda 2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital

– Tirupati

3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged – Tirupati, Rishikesh, Parlekhimundi and Chennai 4. Navajeevan Harijan Sewa Ashram

– Kothapeta

5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram

– Tirupati

6. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres

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Berhampur [Orissa]

7. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres

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Serango [Orissa]

8. Navajeevan Orphanage Homes – Tirupati, Parlehkimundi, Saluru, Golamunda, Berhampur, Pandukal, Vizag

A Humble Request for Donation 1. Sponsor one day Annadan to Blind Children and aged

– Rs. 5000/-

3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year

– Rs. 6000/-

2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations

4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year

5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area 6. Vidyadan—Educational aid for one Child

– Rs. 7000/– Rs. 5000/-

– Rs. 50000/– Rs. 2000/-

Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address on the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of Lord Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings.

Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act.

‘We can attain salvation through social work’ – Swami Vivekananda K. Sridhar Acharya Founder/ President

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Vol.100-5 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) May 2013. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. POSTAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:TN / CH (C) / 190 / 12-14. LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2012-14 Date of Publication: 24th of every month

Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.

—Swami Vivekananda

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Subscription 10 years: ` 1000 1 3 T h e V e(inclusive d a n t a of K postage) e s a r i ~ IVAnnual ~ M A Y : 2` 0100 Contact: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Website: www.chennaimath.org